National spotlight on NM after horrific CYFD baby death, Uber driver slaying

New Mexico is making national headlines for two harrowing incidents — both underscoring deep concerns over public safety and state oversight. Reports from Blaze Media and the New York Post detail the tragic death of an 18-month-old girl with prior involvement in the state’s Children, Youth & Families Department (CYFD), and the chilling murder of an Uber driver by a teenager who allegedly killed “to let off some steam.”

The first case involves Vanessa Chavez, who has been charged with child abuse resulting in death after her toddler was found unresponsive in Albuquerque and died despite 20 minutes of CPR. The child’s death is the sixth in just four months connected to CYFD cases, according to KOB-TV. The girl had been removed from Chavez at birth after being born drug-exposed, only to be returned to her parents for a trial reunification shortly before her death.

Maralyn Beck, founder of the New Mexico Child First Network, placed direct blame on Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and CYFD. “Every single one of these deaths was preventable,” Beck said, adding, “This is on the governor. There is blood on the governor at this point.” She argued that in a “functioning system,” one call to child protective services should save a child’s life.

In response, Gov. Lujan Grisham acknowledged CYFD’s persistent issues, saying, “You’re chasing your tail, and we’ve been chasing our tail for decades.” She promised, “We’re gonna make some damn important progress” in her remaining 18 months in office. A statement from her office said she is “working diligently to address flaws in the system,” citing a recent overhaul for protecting babies born to drug-addicted parents. CYFD also confirmed that two of Chavez’s three children had been in state custody and said all parties, including social workers and the presiding judge, agreed to end the abuse and neglect case in June after the parents complied with a reunification plan.

While the state grapples with systemic child welfare failures, Albuquerque was rocked by another national headline — the murder of Uber driver Joseph Andrus, 52, allegedly at the hands of 18-year-old Sheliky Sanchez. According to the New York Post, Sanchez’s girlfriend ordered him an Uber around 1 a.m., but Andrus was found dead just hours later, shot execution-style on the side of the road. His black Ford Escape was missing until authorities found it at Sanchez’s girlfriend’s home.

Initially, Sanchez told police he bought the car with cash and had no idea it belonged to the victim. But investigators said he eventually confessed to targeting a stranger to “take [his stress] out on anybody he could find.” Sanchez admitted he chose a random drop-off location, ordered Andrus out of the vehicle, and shot him several times — later remarking, “He seemed like a good guy… I don’t really go for good people,” but that killing him felt like “a relief.”

Sanchez is being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center on charges of murder, armed robbery, and tampering with evidence.

With both cases drawing national attention, New Mexico is once again confronting questions about its ability to protect the vulnerable — from children in state care to citizens simply trying to make a living.

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