Judge authorizes attempted murder trial in shooting over Spanish conquistador statue
By MORGAN LEE
Associated Press
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A judge has ordered an attempted murder trial for a New Mexico man in the September shooting of a Native American activist. The shooting occurred amid confrontations about aborted plans to reinstall a statue of a Spanish conquistador outside government offices in northern New Mexico. State District Court Judge Jason Lidyard has found sufficient evidence to support charges of attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon against 23-year-old Ryan David Martinez. The shooting was recorded by bystanders and through surveillance cameras. Tensions over the statue of Juan de Oñate span decades.