By Wheeler Cowperthwaite
Special to the SUN

A Dulce man pleaded guilty to shooting a girl in the buttocks after his sister tried to give him a ride.

Leandrew Velarde, 22 pleaded guilty to assault resulting in serious bodily injury on Jan. 13 in federal court in Albuquerque.

He faces a maximum sentence of a little more than 3 ½ years. According to the plea deal signed by prosecutor Nicholas Marshall, the binding plea agreement sets his maximum sentence at 41 months. Had there been no binding plea deal, he would have faced a maximum sentence of 10 years.

His sentencing is set for May 12 in Albuquerque.

FBI Agent Courtney Gale wrote in an affidavit for an arrest warrant filed on July 23, 2025 that the victim, 15, was driving with her sister, identified as N.C., when the sister saw her brother, Velarde, on the side of the road and picked him up, according to an interview with the victim the day of the shooting.

It is not clear from court documents if Velarde is the victim’s brother or if he is only N.C.’s brother.

Velarde argued with N.C., called both of the girls snitches, then the victim heard a loud bang followed by pain in her buttocks, Gale wrote.

“N.C. stopped the vehicle, and JANE DOE grabbed her phone to call 911,” Gale wrote. “VELARDE grabbed JANE DOE’s phone from her and threw it on the dashboard of the vehicle. VELARDE asked JANE DOE if she was okay and ‘where did I hit you?’ VELARDE flipped JANE DOE over and got JANE DOE’s blood on him. JANE DOE told him to go away and get help. VELARDE told JANE DOE he had to go. VELARDE walked away and turned up the street.”

The victim was flown to a hospital for her injuries, a “penetration wound” on her buttocks, with the bullet exiting the inferior gluteal region, around the pelvis, she wrote.

“JANE DOE believed VELARDE to be intoxicated when N.C. and JANE DOE found him on the sidewalk,” Gale wrote. “VELARDE wanted to stay and play basketball at the park, but N.C. wanted VELARDE to go home and sober up. N.C. did not want VELARDE to get into trouble with the police.”

Earlier in the day, the victim saw a “firearm” on Velarde’s bed and heard her sister telling him to put it away, she wrote.

Jicarilla Apache Nation police officers arrested Velarde that same day, found a black Glock pistol on him, along with marijuana and a bottle of liquor.

Gale initially charged Velarde with abuse of a child resulting in great bodily harm.