Mexican national faces federal charges in violent Albuquerque carjacking

             ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – A federal judge today ordered that Gael Antonio Rodriguez, 18, of Mexico, will remain detained pending trial for carjacking.

            According to a criminal complaint, on Jan. 16, Rodriguez allegedly approached an elderly victim in northwest Albuquerque outside her apartment complex and asked her for a cigarette. The victim responded that she had no cigarettes and Rodriguez then allegedly demanded her purse and the keys for her vehicle. When the victim resisted, Rodriguez allegedly slashed her hand with a knife, causing her to drop the keys. Rodriguez allegedly grabbed the keys and fled in the victim’s vehicle.

            An Albuquerque Police Officer was dispatched to the scene and relayed a description of the vehicle and Rodriguez to the Rio Rancho and Corrales police departments. Police were able to locate the vehicle in Corrales. After a pursuit on foot, police subdued and arrested Rodriguez.

            A complaint is only an allegation. A defendant is considered innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Rodriguez faces up to 25 years in prison.

            The FBI Violent Crimes Task Force investigated this case with assistance from the Albuquerque Police Department and the Co