Enchantment State News

Izaiah Garcia was sentenced to life plus 13 years in the New Mexico Department of Corrections for the murder of Cayla Campos, a 21-year-old woman. The sentencing was handed down by Judge Joseph Montano on July 2, 2024. Garcia had been convicted of first-degree murder on February 29, 2024.

This sentence will run consecutively to a previous life sentence Garcia received for the murder of Sean Markey. Consecutive life sentences mean that Garcia must serve the sentence for Markey’s murder before beginning his sentence for Campos’s murder.

The incident occurred in 2019 when Cayla Campos and her boyfriend were playing Pokémon Go at Albuquerque’s Bianchetti Park. They witnessed Garcia robbing three teenagers at gunpoint. As they attempted to leave the scene, Garcia chased them and fired shots with an assault rifle, killing Campos.

“Today’s sentencing of Izaiah Garcia reflects our commitment to seeking justice and holding violent offenders accountable,” said Attorney General Raúl Torrez. “Cayla’s family highlighted her dreams of a medical career and the meaningful life she had with her loved ones. I hope this sentence provides the Campos family with some closure. As Carl Campos expressed during the sentencing, his daughter’s life will be celebrated while Izaiah Garcia’s will be behind bars.”

During the sentencing, Cayla Campos's family delivered heartfelt statements expressing their profound grief and loss. Cayla aspired to become an oral surgeon and dreamed of having six children, mirroring her grandparents' family life.

The case was prosecuted by Deputy Attorney General John Duran and Assistant Attorney General Jennifyr Vickery.

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