ROSWELL, N.M. (KRQE) – The Roswell Police Department announced that one woman and two men have been arrested in connection to a fatal shooting Monday morning. They said 37-year-old Shiela Nicole Padilla shot and killed 45-year-old Christopher Herrera in the early morning of Monday, August 21, on East Fifth Street.
Police said the shooting was in retaliation for a shooting that occurred a few hours earlier, late Sunday night. The first happened around 11 p.m. on South Atkinson Avenue where a 33-year-old man was injured after being shot but did not press charges.
According to police, Herrera was not involved in the first shooting; however, investigators say the likely shooter of the South Atkinson residence was inside the East Fifth residence. Herrera happened to be standing outside of East Fifth and was shot.
Matthew Villarreal, 33, is accused of driving Padilla to the scene of East Fifth, and Michael Neal Kirby, 37, is accused of being in the vehicle as well. All three are charged with first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, and conspiracy to commit shooting at or from a motor vehicle. Padilla is also facing a charge of shooting at or from a motor vehicle. They have all been taken into custody.
