Man attacked store clerk, then killed Good Samaritan who stepped in, NM officials say
A man accused of punching a clerk at a New Mexico gas station and then fatally shooting a Good Samaritan who tried to help her was sentenced to 26 years behind bars, prosecutors said.
Eric Ford, 59, was sentenced Dec. 11 after pleading guilty to second-degree murder, aggravated battery and aggravated assault, Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman wrote on Facebook.
McClatchy News reached out to Ford’s attorney for comment on Dec. 12 and was awaiting a response.
The shooting happened in February 2023 at a gas station in Albuquerque, officials said. Police said Ford was “causing a scene” and punched a clerk after she asked him multiple times to leave. That’s when Michael Urioste, 24, stepped in, Albuquerque police wrote in a news release at the time.
Urioste was a customer at the store, and he wrestled Ford “to the ground near a gas pump,” police said.
Ford eventually shot Urioste, who later died, officials said.
Another person who was pumping gas also was shot but didn’t have life-threatening injuries, according to police.
Several of Urioste’s loved ones spoke during the sentencing hearing, including his mother and sister, KRQE reported.
“You took away our chance to finish growing up with our brother, we pray you get the maximum sentence possible, as God may forgive you but we never will,” Urioste’s sister, Lina Urioste, said during the hearing, according to the station.
Urioste loved playing and watching sports, and he cheered on the Las Vegas Raiders, Boston Celtics and New York Yankees, his obituary said.
“You could always know on any given night or weekend that he would be at home cheering on his favorite teams screaming at the television on each and every play as if he had a front row seat at the stadium,” the obituary said.
He also loved “weightlifting, gaming, riding his Harley and being a comedian” around friends and family, the obituary said.
“A quote that was instilled in Michael and he fiercely lived by was ‘Never Back Down,’ especially when it came to his family and friends. A perfect example of this was his last act which was to sacrifice his own life to protect another,” the obituary said.
Ford’s wife is serving a five-year sentence on charges of aggravated battery and aggravated assault in connection with the incident, prosecutors said.
This story was originally published December 12, 2024 at 5:33 PM with the headline "Man attacked store clerk, then killed Good Samaritan who stepped in, NM officials say."
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