Good video story: (watch this first)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h95O_W5Uy_c

Twists with two Denny's
murder suspectsReporter: Crystal Gutierrez
Web Producer: Paulette Mastio
ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - Murder, tampering with evidence, child abuse, and dozens of counts of kidnapping are a few of the long list of charges Albuquerque police say 22-year-old Marvin Aguilar-Lopez, and 32-year-old Pablo Ortiz are facing. Aguilar-Lopez and Ortiz are two of the men who stormed an Albuquerque Denny's Saturday killing a woman who worked there.

The Albuquerque Police Department is still waiting for full confirmation on the names of the two men since they say they're from Central America and immigration and customs enforcement is now involved. Both suspects in custody say they're from El Salvador, but that's only one twist to the developing story.

According to the criminal complaints obtained by KRQE News 13, the suspects are part of a group that may be connected to a string of armed robberies in Albuquerque.

Saturday's robbery at the Denny's on Coors Boulevard at Iliff Road NW was deadly and the restaurant is closed today. A make-shift memorial sits outside for the female employee who was shot to death. The victim's name has not been released.

Overnight Marvin Aguilar-Lopez and Pablo Ortiz were each booked on an open count of murder, armed robbery and tampering with evidence, five counts of child abuse and 40 counts of kidnapping were added since the restaurant was packed with customers, some were children.

Ortiz was found at a phone booth not far from the Denny's, by an APD detective who thought he looked suspicious.

Aguilar-Lopez was arrested at the Vista Mobile Home Park at 9600 Central Southwest in a car that matched the description of the getaway vehicle. Their search of the gold Malibu uncovered a rifle, handgun and a cash drawer filled with money.

According to the criminal complaint, the suspects have connections to two homes at the mobile home park. Both suspects and their vehicle match the descriptions of a group police witnessed casing-out Westside restaurants in recent days.

Police conducted a massive search at the mobile home park Saturday and Sunday for additional suspects. Nadine Hamby of the Albuquerque Police Department said, "We still got outstanding offenders, the investigation continues to get those people behind bars. As soon as we come up with more leads we will make the arrests as necessary. If it's necessary to conduct more search warrants, we will execute more search warrants." APD have executed six searches so far.

www.krqe.com

NM police looking for suspects in Denny's killing- Associated Press
3 hours ago

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Police on Sunday were searching for at least two more suspects they believe killed a teenage worker during a robbery at a packed Denny's and committed 10 more armed robberies in Albuquerque this past year.

Two suspects were arrested within minutes of the crime Saturday on suspicion of murder, kidnapping, robbery and child abuse because there were at least five children in the restaurant, Albuquerque Police Officer Nadine Hamby said.

Hamby said the men who were arrested are in their late 20s to early 30s and are from South America, but she did not know where specifically. She said police were working with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to verify the men's identities.

Hamby said at least four masked men with rifles and handguns rushed into the northwest Albuquerque Denny's around 9:30 a.m. Saturday and demanded money.

A teenage female employee was fatally shot during the robbery. Police have not yet identified her.

One restaurant employee told police a manager was forced to open the cash register and the robbers took an undetermined amount of cash.

Hamby said police believe the men committed 10 similar robberies in the Albuquerque area in the past year, but no one was shot in those incidents. She would not provide further details.

She said about 35 detectives, who were in the area as part of a special operation targeting robberies, responded to the restaurant and found two of the suspects quickly.

Hamby said police were trying to help the roughly 100 people who were in the restaurant at the time get any emotional or psychological help they may need.

"They've been through a traumatic experience," she said.

Witnesses described the scene inside the restaurant as chaotic, with people getting down on the floor when they heard a bang.

"Four masked men came in with guns," customer Brian Thompson told KRQE News in Albuquerque. "Two went toward the back. That's all we could see because we all hit the ground."
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P.S. Notice how the AP story makes no reference to the gunmen's legal status, only quoting the police spokesperson at they were "South Americans."