Law&Crime Sidebar - Family Attacks Killer in Bloody Courtroom Brawl: Bodycam

Episode Date: June 1, 2026

When Alexander Ortiz appeared in court for the brutal January 2024 Albuquerque murders of Alianna Farfan and Nicole Maldonado, the victims' grieving family triggered an all-out brawl that erupted in the courtroom on January 31, 2025. Newly obtained bodycam footage takes viewers inside the bloody aftermath, revealing the raw heartbreak and rage behind the viral chaos. Law&Crime's Jesse Weber breaks down the shocking footage and the tragic history of the case.HOST:Jesse Weber: https://twitter.com/jessecordweberLAW&CRIME SIDEBAR PRODUCTION:YouTube Management - Bobby SzokeVideo Editing - Michael Deininger, Christina O'Shea, Alex Ciccarone, & Jay CruzScript Writing & Producing - Savannah Williamson & Juliana BattagliaGuest Booking - Alyssa Fisher & Diane KayeSocial Media Management - Vanessa BeinSTAY UP-TO-DATE WITH THE LAW&CRIME NETWORK:Watch Law&Crime Network on YouTubeTV: https://bit.ly/3td2e3yWhere To Watch Law&Crime Network: https://bit.ly/3akxLK5Sign Up For Law&Crime's Daily Newsletter: https://bit.ly/LawandCrimeNewsletterRead Fascinating Articles From Law&Crime Network: https://bit.ly/3td2IqoLAW&CRIME NETWORK SOCIAL MEDIA:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lawandcrimeTwitter: https://twitter.com/LawCrimeNetworkFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/lawandcrimeTwitch: https://www.twitch.tv/lawandcrimenetworkTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lawandcrimeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Family members of a murder victim charged the accused killer in open court. Punches flew, a chair went flying, a taser came out. You saw the chaos, but you didn't see what happened after. I was here, what happens, it was worth every minute, every second. Newly released body cam footage we obtained is now showing us everything the security cameras missed. Welcome to Sidebar, presented by law and crime. I'm Jesse Weber. So if you've been watching Sidebar for a while and I hope that you have,

you will remember this crazy courtroom moment, okay? The one where family members of a murder victim charged across the room and started swinging at the man who was accused of killing their loved one. A corrections officer pulled out his taser. The whole thing turned into an all-out brawl. That video went viral everywhere. But here's what you might not remember or never knew in the first place. The man they were going after, Alexander Ortiz, was already facing a murder charge for killing

his girlfriend, Aliana Farfan. And while police were searching for him, investigators say he killed another woman just six days later. So two killings, one suspect, and a courtroom that turned into a war zone. Look, you saw the chaos, but you didn't see what happened after the punches stopped. The body cam footage we just obtained is now going to take you inside the aftermath, the interviews, the bleeding. This one is wild. Okay, let me just tell you right now. It's wild. Now, this brawl, it all sparked from something much darker. So we've got to go back to January 2024. According to the criminal complaint, Alexander Ortiz was at his girlfriend Aliana's apartment on Montgomery Boulevard in Albuquerque.

Witnesses told police, they heard arguing, then a gunshot, and then a bedroom window shattered from the inside. Ortees was gone. And when police got inside, that is when they find Aliana already dead. But here is where the case takes an even darker turn. Because while detectives were still searching for Ortiz, a woman named Nicole Maldonado was shot and killed outside of a grocery store. So that was six days after Aliana's murder. And police eventually tracked Ortiz to a residence near that grocery store. He apparently barricaded himself inside. When they got him into custody, what did they find? Weapons, ammunition. Ballistics linked those to the grocery store shooting. And Ortiz was ultimately

charged with both killings, both murders. Now you fast forward to January 2025. Now more than a year later, Ortiz is back in court for a hearing and the family is sitting in the gallery. Security camera footage captures this whole thing. Now, there's no sound, but honestly, you don't really need it to see the chaos, right? Ortees is standing next to. to his attorney at the podium wearing an orange jumpsuit, and that is when Carlos Lucero, the victim's uncle, leaps over the barrier and makes a beeline straight for Ortiz. And an officer tries to stop him. It's too late.

They collide. They crashed to the floor. Then Pete Sasse, that's the victim's stepfather. He bursts through the barrier in a white shirt, jumps into the pile. A third person enters the fray. This is Ortiz's father, dressed in all black, starts throwing punches, family members in the gallery, they rush in to try to break things up. The fight only intensifies. There's a woman that grabs a folding chair, starts swinging it at both Ortiz and the officer trying to shield him. And then finally,

an officer pulls out what appears to be a taser, and that's when everyone backs off. Now, in the aftermath, you see Lucero, you see Sassy wiping blood from their faces, Ortiz's on the ground. The hearing's over. Okay, the hearing's over before it even really started. And that's what the security cameras caught. Here's what they didn't catch. We're gonna get everything under control for a second, okay? I don't exactly know what's going on. Back up, let's just sit right here. Sit down.

Let's go. See, everyone out. See if Kornu's arrived. This one too? This one too? This one too. You're right, man. Both of them I ended up.

Give me your penis. All right, what's your name? Joe. All right, brother, what's your name? Joe. Sorry, what was your name, bro? Joe. Joe?

Is that Joseph? Just Joe. J O. You? What's your last name, sir? Teeze. What's your dead, birth, sir? I'm the toilet until they get away. Oh, okay.

Okay. Okay. Hey, hey. Hey, I'm going. I'm going. All right. Do you want to stand up for me?

I'll walk somewhere. Take my sweater. Yes, sir. Hey, Ma'Pie. Or James, can you hand me that sweater? You know that sweater. All right. Just give me how way.

Come on this one. Go ahead. Take you to hold. Take you to hold. Sir? So we'll give me one second. Before we do that, do you have anything in your pockets? No, sir.

Wallet. All of us are, we trying to get them off in that time. Okay. So like I said, we don't know what's going on, dude. You're being detained at this time, all right, but we're going to have to complete an investigation. I think he's got a white shirt? Where is he? I don't know.

He's on the other side of that. I think we got like three-dain in there for sure. Yeah, you got a, you got, it looks like you're bleeding from your face. We're gonna get medical out of here. We're gonna have to check that, okay? Well, just get away from all these people. Well, we're away from everybody now. They're not leaving that area for a little while.

What's your did, but? I just saw them attacking my son. He's in custody? Yes, sir. Okay. They were attacking. They were all over. That was the scene right after the brawl.

So deputy swarming the courtroom, trying to separate everyone, trying to figure out who started it, who was just trying to protect someone. You can see their officers removing the defendant's father, Joe Ray Ortiz. We're going to come back to him later, by the way. But when they start pulling people aside for interviews, the first person they talked to, the uncle. With my face full of blood? You got a little bit. You got a little bit of blood, man. I'm not going to lie to you.

There's a little bit. I'm not going to get you something. I don't have an afkin on me, but when we go out there, I'll get you some. Okay? I promise. Is that your niece that you're wearing on you? Yeah. Every 22, he shot around the face.

That's awful. And he killed another girlfriend. He's got two murder charges. That's all. That really is awful. I'm sorry. You know, punked with guns. So while, well, we killed.

we wait for medical. Do you want to talk to you want to talk to you about what happened? If so, I have some questions, and before we answer questions, I just want to advise you of your rights, okay? All right. We advise you of your Miranda rights, okay? So you have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can be used against you in the court of law. You have the right to consult an attorney before speaking to police or having an attorney present during questioning now or in the future. If you cannot afford a lawyer one to be appointed for you at no cost, if you wish.

If you decide to answer my questions now without a lawyer present, you will still have the right to stop answering until you have an attorney present. Knowing understanding your rights as I explain them to you, are you willing to answer my questions without an attorney present?

No, I'm going to exercise my right. Okay. Thank you. Yeah, of course. That's it against you, but... No, no, no. You're rights, brother. You're your rights, yeah.

Yeah. We got in the eyes. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Man, brother, I was at me in a tight spot. I don't care. What happens?

It was worth every minute, every second. He'd kill my least like a coward. Because she wouldn't answer the damn phone for him. He wouldn't. He wouldn't tell her where she was. She wouldn't tell her where he was. That's awful. That's Carlos Lucero, Alianna's uncle.

bleeding from the face, calm one second, raging the next. But not everyone who jumped into that brawl felt the same way. This guy that was here, I was already over there trying to pull my brother off. So, well, you said he went back from back here. He hit you, right? Yeah, he gone looking at the side. So what happened after? And that's what I just started.

I don't know. I just started swinging. I pushed him over somebody that was on the floor. But you see over. Were you right here? No, I was over there. Oh, you're over there. Yeah, I don't know. They were fighting right in front of the podium.

Okay. You know? So he came from all the way back here? No, all the way back here, but he was already ready to do something. I see him. Talk, not at him. I don't hear you there. What's my job? They just relax.

They let these. Whatever. They don't do nothing to these people no more. I've been in Brisbane. I know. You don't hurt girls. Your kids, man. Lower your voice.

Lower your voice that now. What, just trying to figure out what's going out? You just like. You don't hurt girls. You don't want to kids. You don't hurt them. You don't hurt kids. You don't want to grow?

Uh. Oh. We can take them. What's your name, man? You mean, hello. He is his name. I need you to relax your thing. How is it?

How's it hurt that these dudes just get to get out and probation? Hey, like, lower your kids. Lower your voice. I know you're angry. I step up. Touched. Let me see who's outside. Okay.

Well, we can take him down the elevator on the side. Oh, okay. Oh, P. I understand you're going through a lot right now, but you got to kind of relax to that. I need to try to get first side of the story, right? This way I could help. I told you everything, Morris.

I just want. I know, I know. I've been out of prison already four years. I'm not trying to get in trouble tomorrow. I've been telling you my life. I've been down since 92. I don't worry. We're going to have like another adult conversation.

I know you're mad about this. I know you're mad about the whole situation. daughters. It's very understandable. And you went through a lot right now, okay? I jumped over there. I don't know my wife's brother. So to stop him and then this start him and then I get taste. I'm like, what the f***? Just to try to help.

He said, good thing is. Calm down. Camera, sure. Oh, good dog. On to what? Mrs. It's all going to get sorted out. All right. But you're leaving in here. Yeah. Altarie dealing with Annette.

You're already dealing with. You said it was your daughter. What's your name? Oh, Aliana. Aliana deserves to have you sitting here, no, like sitting back there with Henca, right? But when you see the person that shot her in her eye and killed her sitting right there, what would you do? Hannah.

Oh, what would you do? I pray that I never have to know it. I'm sorry that you have to feel like. And I'm sorry that you have to feel like. Karen's aren't designed to lose their babies. You're stronger than me, I can tell you that. But listen, Pete, we have some of my hair We were going to check you all, okay?

You just be calling on and check you? Yeah. Thank you. I'm not trying. We got it. This is Pete. He got a drag stunt to the side and then I think he got it in the face in the head. He thinks he saw a little bit adrenaline so he doesn't really know what he is.

Okay. Just make sure you're not in the room. Did this be good? Do you want to go to the hospital at any ones? No, I'm fine. Fine. Are you hurting any? Are you hurting anywhere?

No? Your face feels fine? Yeah? You're just questions in this? I can't see. Once a little bit, when this jumped over, he hit me a little bit. And then that guy started shocking me.

I'm like, shocking the wrong person. So I was like, it was just, it was happening so fast, you know? Yeah. It's just happening so fast, you know? It just sucks, man. You were taking this, you're sitting there.

You're on this side? What's your arm? Your arm? On my side somewhere right there. I don't see any marsh when I look like... Somewhere in the front of me. I don't know. Is there already right off?

They'll be right there. It's right here? Yeah. It shouldn't be fine. No, no, no, no. I guess the impenetrate. Yeah. It's probably just a dry stun, so like...

It's not like the ones that shoot out and stick on you? No, there's not. That's a different one, not different taste? Yeah. Because I didn't see the wires or anything. So you're good, right, and you don't want to go to the house. Yeah, no, I'm fine. Okay. Thank you.

Just going to go grab a little flasker to check your eyes for it. Like I said, man, everything's documented. We got yours side of the story. Yeah, that's what we mentioned before. That's Pete Sassy, the victim's stepfather, in the middle of a brawl, bodies everywhere, taser coming out. Nobody could tell the difference between who was trying to stop the fighter started. Listening to everything.

And then I just saw him go up towards him. I didn't know if it was part of the courts. Control of 515. until I saw him attacking my son. And I stood up, I thought that there were a death. And then I saw a second gentleman come in. And then I saw that only one officer was there. Come fight a boat off.

He was the guy in the black. Yes, sir. Okay, NBC. So then I don't know, I just try to help my assignment. I was not a police officer. I don't know what to do. I just, I just, I just did what I could. I try to defend your son. Okay. That's, that's it. I didn't go or come here with any of intention or anything. Okay. Just, I had no idea anything that that was going to have me. Okay. What's your, uh, we're just going to get your son's information.

They should have it down there. Okay. And, uh, yeah, I'm sure NEC is probably good. I'm I'm sure NDCS ready. You guys are putting on these two. Yeah, absolutely. I just, like I said, I just saw one officer there and being pulled up a while. Okay. So there are two people? Did he pull it or was there?

I don't know. I don't know if somebody reached for it. I don't know. I was just trying to get hip off my son. Okay. You know, you only see this kind of stuff on TV. Yeah. ever thought that something like this is never happened here.

It's actually the first thing that's ever happened here. This is the first time that happened here and the five years I've been here. So I've never seen anything like that live or I never been in a situation like this. And that's Joe Ray Ortiz, the defendant's father with only one corrections officer trying to stop it. He said he couldn't just stand there. So now the bailiff was also interviewed and she saw it all from just a few feet away and told police what unfolded. which one. If you can remember. I think the one in the white shoulder. He came and he jumped in.

The one that's in the back? Yeah. He was hitting the inmate and then the guy in the black sweater jumped over and got involved and then a couple of other people got involved in a fight. So? And I saw them

all wrestling down here on the floor. And then one of the ladies came in and started kicking people. Do you know what the lady was wearing? Possibly a brown sweater. A brown sweater, that was a lady. But this gentleman in the white shirt jumped over the...

They started hitting the inmate first. Yeah. Yeah. Where would the inmate say? Right. The podium. Just right here. Yeah.

He tried to get away. Okay. Yeah. Okay. So, gentlemen in the white shirt jumped over. started stricken the inmate. Do you know what the in there was right, orange? Yes.

Yeah. Okay. So after that happened, who else came in? The guy who was in the black shirt? The one that's all the way in the back. Yeah. So he came in to defend the inmate?

Yeah. Okay. And then you said there was someone with a brown sweater. Yeah, the lady, she came in. And I started just kicking. Okay. Because, like, there was... You know what she was wearing?

I don't, I want to say, like, maybe a browser. Do you know who she was with? I don't, because it seemed like everybody was sitting on that one side of the courtroom. Everybody was over there? It seemed like it. Okay. Because I didn't notice anybody sitting on this like the corner. Okay.

Okay, so I just wanted to clarify. And I know it started fits out of retired, but I just got to make fits. Gentlemen, the white jumped over, started hitting inmate. gentleman that's in the back when the Nike sweater came into the fend and somehow they all ended up on the ground lady with the brown sweater started kicking she came in a lot of the family members came home okay okay I said one of the police and part of that family came in just okay that was good I'll go let my fellow deputies know what you saw if we have any more questions we'll come and talk to you. Are you okay then? You guys were in here? Okay.

As medical service, you guys got into the office? Thank you, ma. So I got some of those guys right? That's the current officer. You know, what are you going to get to send down? That's his email. So I got some information from here? That's the current officer.

That's his email Pete. Pete. He's back. Bayliff just told me, sorry. So, sorry. Bayliff just told me, sorry. Sorry. That's good. I'm going to get for this case. The inmate was at the podium.

This gentleman in the white jumped over. Jumped over and started punching the lead in the person. Is that my wife? Right. Which is not. It was Pete. So Pete, like, sure. You know, his name, and then we're getting.

49 for the 16 yeah there's there's another one that I think downstairs who also been involved and there's a female like being hit him with the chair it went in the chair and there was only one see you up sure yeah so yeah so apparently this team all jumped over this guy was defending his friend so but this guy was as the instinct unit according to the valence she's like the guy in the white chair just jose are punching around me oh really and then that's when they and the Nike sweater jumped over to defend the only front hand. So we also have a big of motion to get to the that's coming from the Bay of the shop.

So I'll do this all the four times, I'll put it all the hard man, all you go out as a narrative part. And then nobody takes the evidence. Maybe you could do us to put into some a lot of areas and you'll just Cool. Cool.

It's gonna wrap it. It's right. That's why I got a good. Oh. I think that could be that. So this guy's good at this guy. So that's when someone rushed over and he's a little. Yeah, the only cook on.

The guy that was there. So that's all I think is. So we can't. So after talking with the witnesses, deputies, they watched the footage. And it is the video that decided who went to jail and who went home. Yeah, I don't know where they have in black is definitely trying to get someone in the arresting and any other page up. So Pete is the one we have custody,

also the other one in the custody, they both are the ones that jumped over and started to fight. Okay, so they're both being charged with the felony charges, and so we're gonna sit on both of those. And then there's two females that come in and probably not who those are. They also. But we don't have them in custody.

No. Okay, we'll figure out who they are. We'll sit on those two with the felony. If there's any other ones, we can issue some of the evidence. Control three and tinge on. On the other ones, if we identify who the arm is. write a warrant or wait a warrant. So you're probably too near.

Okay, well I can't. Control 219. Oh, I'll take it. Okay. So. It'll be the same here. Are you still on the second? Are you still on the second form?

Control the 515. Like, you drive them past. Okay, so those two will go. And then you'll write a SBC. So I got it, guys. We'll write ACC for the two families. Okay.

And then we'll try to then for the two females for the summits for, I guess, I don't have an ID though. We'll try to get that. Or some of us will work on give them a MID, Busted, but we'll get at that stuff. So we'll figure out what their charges are later if we don't come in a SED, that's not. Yeah, just do you have something for that. Do you guys need an extra person to go through the hospital? They're on the same side.

Like they're where they're not. Yeah, no, we can probably take them. Do you have a unit already? You have a unit already? Seam okay or double? Double. Okay. So I'll just try with him half the second.

And then we'll just watch them. All right. So you've heard the family's rage. You've seen the chaos. But you haven't heard why they were so angry in the first place. Now, we touched on it earlier, right? Two killing six days apart. But I want to go deeper.

I want to go deeper into what the complaints actually say. Because understanding what Alexander Ortiz is accused of, that's the only way to understand why that courtroom exploded. According to the criminal complaint filed in Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court, on January 11, 2024, police were dispatched to an apartment on Montgomery Boulevard for a homicide call. The person who called 911 told the dispatcher a name, Draco. She said, quote, he killed my cousin. He goes by Draco. He just came inside and ran.

So when officers arrived, they found Aliana lying in the bedroom. And according to the complaint, quote, there appeared to be a bloody handprint and a possible defect in her skull area. A bedroom window had been broken out from the inside, and a neighbor told police he had seen the male living in the apartment with, quote, a possible Glock firearm on his hip and a holster. He described the male as a dark-skinned Hispanic, approximately 5-11 with tattoos on his arms, shoulders, and chest. Another witness told investigators she was in the apartment that night. According to the complaint, her ears then began ringing from a gunshot. She and another witness

kicked the bedroom door open. Once the door was open, the witness noticed Alexander had already gotten out the window and was gone. She looked further into the bedroom and, quote, saw Aliana was bleeding from her nose and her eyes. She didn't perform CPR because she believed it wouldn't help. And the complaint also details these prior incidents that Aliana's father told police that approximately two to three days before the killing, he received a phone call from Aliana stating that Alex was pointing a gun at her. Her father came to the apartment, told Alex to leave. He left. Those were the allegations. Aliana's mother told investigators that on Christmas Eve, 23, so just weeks before the killing. Aliana called her because she wanted to be picked up

after Alex had battered her. And when her mother got to the apartment, she saw Alex leave through an apartment window. She also said, quote, Alex also broke the windows to Aliana's sedan. Now, according to the complaint, a witness told police, she has found out that Aliana and Alexander were in an argument earlier about Aliana giving Alexander an STD. She believed this is what caused Alexander to shoot Aliana. That is not all. While detectives were still searching for Ortiz, so six days later, a woman named Nicole Maldonado was shot and killed outside this grocery store on Central Avenue. And police reviewed the surveillance footage. And according to reporting from KOB4, the video allegedly showed Ortiz firing into a car with Nicole inside.

She was in the back seat, didn't survive. And when officers finally tracked Ortiz to a home near that grocery store and he apparently barricaded himself inside, according to the arrest documents when they searched the residence, this is where they found parts of a 40 caliber handgun and extended magazine, a 50-round drum magazine, and Glock ammunition. Ballistics later linked those parts to the grocery store shooting. So Ortiz was charged with two counts of murder, one for Aliana, one for Nicole. That's what the family was carrying with them when they walked into that courtroom. And in the end, according to court documents reviewed by local media, Carlos Lucero, Pete Sasse,

they took plea deals. Carlos is serving 18 months of supervised probation. Pete got around 12 months. And as for Alexander Ortiz, while he was convicted of first-degree murder, for killing Aliana in September of 2025, a judge sentenced him to life in prison. His trial for the murder or the alleged murder of Nicole Maldonado is still pending. And that's all we have for you right now here on Sidebar. Everybody, thank you so much for joining us.

And as always, please subscribe on YouTube, Apple Podcast, Spotify, wherever you should get your podcast. You can also check us out on NBC's Peacock as well. If you want to follow me, X Instagram, my News Nation show, Jesse Weber Live, Monday through Friday, 11 p.m. Eastern. See you next time, everybody.