Man takes plea deal in fatal shooting of ABQ mail carrier
Jun. 8—A 20-year-old pleaded guilty Wednesday to shooting and killing a postal worker who intervened in a family fight in 2019 on the West Side.
Xavier Zamora took the deal offered by prosecutors on charges of second-degree murder of an employee of the United States and using a firearm during a crime of violence resulting in death, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office.
In April 2019, José Hernandez, 47, was delivering mail to a neighborhood near Tower and 98th when he saw Zamora — who was 17 at the time — hit his mother during a fight. Hernandez tried to intervene before Zamora became angry and grabbed a handgun, shooting Hernandez in the stomach.
The release states Zamora will stay in custody pending sentencing. He faces up to 22 years in prison under the plea deal.
Zamora's attorney could not be reached for comment on Wednesday.
"José Hernandez died protecting a stranger from violence. His selfless courage in the course of his duties embodies the highest ideals of the Postal Service — to bind the nation together," U.S. Attorney for New Mexico Alexander M.M. Uballez said in a released statement. "We cannot replace the husband, the father, the friend who was taken in this act of violence, but today's plea represents a significant step toward justice."
U.S. Postal Service Inspector in Charge Melisa Llosa, in a statement, described Hernandez as a veteran who "cared about the community he served." She said investigating those who commit "heinous crimes" against employees "will always be the highest priority of U.S. Postal Inspectors."
The plea agreement wasn't available through online court records.
