The suspect’s case is moving in federal court, where the death penalty remains possible.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The mother of a man killed while driving for Uber on his first shift traveled to Albuquerque to watch the suspect’s federal case advance, saying she wants accountability for what investigators describe as a random attack that ended with her son shot and his SUV stolen.
The death of Joseph Andrus has become part of a larger federal prosecution that includes charges carrying the possibility of a life sentence or the death penalty. The suspect, Sheliky Sanchez, is being held while the case moves through federal court, and a trial date has not been set. As proceedings continue, Andrus’ family has begun telling the public who he was beyond the police allegations: a recent college graduate trying to fund a new business, a son they say was generous, and a young man they believe was targeted for no reason.
Allison Green, Andrus’ mother, went to a court session in Albuquerque for a status hearing in the federal case, describing the trip as something she felt she had to do even as grief still felt unreal. “No mom should ever have to place her child in the ground,” Green said in an interview after attending court. She said the day her son was killed began with routine plans and ended with a knock at the door that changed everything.
Police and federal prosecutors say Sanchez, who was 18 at the time of the killing, used a rideshare request to get into Andrus’ vehicle early Aug. 7, 2025, then took control of the situation with a gun. Court filings and public statements from authorities describe a crime that started as a ride and ended with Andrus forced out and shot multiple times at a location Sanchez chose at random. The vehicle, described by prosecutors as a 2022 Ford Escape, was taken in what authorities call a carjacking that resulted in death.
In a press release announcing the federal indictment, prosecutors said a grand jury charged Sanchez with carjacking resulting in death, kidnapping resulting in death, and using a firearm during a violent crime and causing death by firing it. All three counts are eligible for the federal death penalty. Prosecutors said Sanchez will remain in custody while awaiting trial and that a trial date had not been scheduled at the time of the indictment announcement.
Green told a local TV station that her son had recently graduated from the University of New Mexico and was trying to build a future in technology. She said he started a company called Byte-Spire Technology and took on rideshare driving to help pay for the early steps of launching it. She described a moment from the day of the killing that has stayed with her: she said her son asked to borrow money for gas a few hours before he went out to drive, proud that he was finding a way to support himself and his plans.
“It was his first day. He was trying to be independent, and he was doing it. I was so proud of him,” Green said. She described Andrus as someone who “oozed with joy and generosity” and was the type of person who looked for chances to help others. The point of speaking publicly now, she said, is not only to mourn but to demand a legal outcome that matches what she believes was taken from her family.
Details of what happened during the ride come largely from investigators’ accounts in court documents and public statements. Authorities say the ride took place shortly after 3 a.m. and began near Sanchez’s residence in northwest Albuquerque. Prosecutors have described the killing as intentional and tied directly to the carjacking and kidnapping allegations, meaning the driver’s death is treated as part of the violent crime rather than as a separate event. While investigators have alleged a motive tied to stress and a desire to commit violence, the defense has not admitted guilt, and Sanchez is presumed innocent unless convicted.
The case has drawn attention because of the severe penalties attached to the federal charges and because it involves a rideshare driver who, according to family, was working to cover basic expenses and invest in a startup. Advocates for gig workers have long noted that drivers can be isolated, working overnight hours and meeting strangers in their vehicles, and law enforcement agencies in many cities have tracked carjackings and robberies linked to app-based ride requests. Even so, prosecutors say the facts here are unusually stark: a driver called to pick up a passenger who, authorities allege, intended violence from the start.
Federal prosecutors have emphasized the statutory consequences. If convicted, Sanchez faces a mandatory life sentence or the death penalty on the kidnapping resulting in death charge, according to the Justice Department announcement. For the other counts, prosecutors said he faces any term of imprisonment up to life or the death penalty. Death penalty-eligible cases also involve additional layers of review inside the Justice Department and specialized procedures in court, and they can take longer than typical federal criminal cases.
The investigation has involved both federal and local agencies. The Justice Department said the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated with assistance from the Albuquerque Police Department, and the case is being prosecuted by assistant U.S. attorneys in New Mexico. Public releases have not outlined every step investigators took to identify and arrest Sanchez, but the core allegation remains that the driver was killed during a carjacking and kidnapping involving a firearm.
Green said the aftermath has forced her family to measure time differently, with ordinary milestones now feeling out of reach. “There won’t be any more memories. There won’t be any more birthday calls,” she said. She described the moment police came to her door as one she first tried to interpret in less final terms, thinking her son might have been hurt in a crash or a fight rather than killed. She said the full meaning still hits in waves, even as the court process demands attention to schedules and filings.
As the case continues, major questions remain unanswered in public filings, including exactly how prosecutors intend to present evidence at trial and whether federal officials will formally seek the death penalty. Another unknown is how long it will take for the court to set deadlines for motions, hearings, and a trial date. In many federal cases, judges set a schedule after early status conferences, with the timing shaped by the complexity of evidence, the number of witnesses, and the need for experts.
For Green, the court calendar is now tied to grief. She said her son’s life was defined by hope and persistence, and that speaking out is her way of keeping his story from being reduced to a case number. “My son’s message was a message with hope,” Green said. “I think when a line’s been crossed, then the hope becomes a hope for justice and responsibility, accountability.”
As of this week, Sanchez remains in custody in the federal case. The next major milestone will be a scheduling order that sets deadlines for pretrial motions and, eventually, a trial date, while federal officials continue weighing whether to pursue the death penalty.
Author note: Last updated March 3, 2026.