Courtroom video shows the moment a murder suspect was attacked during a hearing by his alleged victim’s uncle and stepfather on Friday, Jan. 31.

Albuquerque police Alexander Ortiz, 21, was arrested last February in connection with the fatal shooting of his ex-girlfriend, Alianna Farfan, police said in a news release.

Ortiz was charged with first-degree murder, which he pleaded not guilty to in March 2024, court records show.

At a resumed hearing on Friday morning, Jan. 31, 2025, Ortiz was in a courtroom at the Bernalillo County Courthouse in Albuquerque for a plea hearing when he was attacked by the victim's family.

In the video, a man said to be the victim's uncle, jumps over the courtroom boundary separating members of the public from suspects and rushes for Ortiz, who tries to flee. Another man follows suit seconds later.

A fight then breaks out with several people struggling and fighting as they roll around on the floor, including Carlos Lucero, Pete Ysasi, Ortiz, a corrections officer, Ortiz's father and a sixth unidentified man.

Lucero and Ysasi can be seen punching an unidentified man wearing jeans and a dark long-sleeved shirt, while the corrections officer tries to protect Ortiz.

The fight finally ends when the corrections officer pulls out his Taser.

Court documents filed by the state of New Mexico in Metropolitan Court last week identified the men as Lucero and Ysasi. Deputies responded to the courtroom at around 9:30 a.m. following a dispatch report of an active fight.

Lucero and Ysasi jumped over the courtroom gate, ran toward Ortiz and began punching him, court documents allege. They are also alleged to have injured the corrections officer protecting Ortiz.

During his arrest, Lucero referred to the victim, Farfan, as his niece.

"He killed my niece like a coward," Lucero is alleged to have told the deputy who detained him.

Lucero added that the fight was worth going to jail for.

He said, "It was worth every moment."