Manuel Chavira Wanted for Carjacking, Firing Gun at Women in Albuquerque

Manuel Chavira, 25, is on the run after being charged in a violent carjacking that turned deadly when he fired a gun at two women in an Albuquerque church parking lot. The federal criminal complaint, unsealed August 3, 2020, accuses Chavira of carjacking and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence — charges that could land him in prison for life.

The incident unfolded on July 18, 2020, at the San Jose De Armijo Cemetery in southeast Albuquerque. Chavira approached two women parked in their blue 2019 Honda Civic SI, asking to charge his phone. When that failed, he requested to borrow the driver’s phone to call a tow truck. He made several calls while sitting in the vehicle, lulling the victims into a false sense of security.

The moment turned deadly when the driver stepped out to retrieve a sweater from her trunk. Chavira brandished a black firearm — possibly a .22 or .25 caliber — and demanded the car. The passenger protested, but the driver handed over the keys. Chavira then racked the slide, chambering a round, and pointed the weapon, screaming, “Do you want me to shoot her? Do you want me to shoot her?” The women fled — and then heard gunshots ring out.

Chavira fled in the stolen Honda Civic. The victims later identified him in photos. He remains at large. The FBI’s Violent Crime Task Force, working with New Mexico State Police, is hunting him down as part of Operation Legend — a federal push to crush gun violence in cities with soaring crime rates like Albuquerque.

Chavira is 5’10”, weighs between 150 and 194 lbs., has brown hair and eyes, and bears a bullet wound scar on his nose. He has tattoos of “Josefina” on his left arm, “C.V.” on his right arm, “Ceci” in a heart on his chest, and three dots on his right wrist. The FBI is offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to his capture. Tips can be submitted at https://www.fbi.gov/tips.

Chavira faces up to 15 years in prison on the carjacking charge, plus a mandatory consecutive sentence of 10 years to life for discharging a firearm during a crime of violence. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Eva Fontanez. Criminal complaints are not convictions — Chavira is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.