A 32-year-old man has admitted murdering a four-year-old girl in a road rage shooting.
Tony Torrez was arrested after Lilly Garcia was shot in the head in the back seat of her father’s pick-up truck in New Mexico on Tuesday.
Officials said Lilly was killed after a Toyota saloon car pulled up beside her father’s pick-up truck and shots were fired into the vehicle.
He was charged with murder, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and assault with intent to commit a violent felony.
Torrez is also charged with child abuse, child abuse resulting in death, shooting at or from a motor vehicle and evidence tampering, Albuquerque police said.
Officials said in a statement that Torrez "confessed to investigators he was responsible for the murder."
Police said earlier that day an anonymous caller had reported knowing who shot the girl and gave detectives Torrez's name.
"With that information and multiple tips from the community, detectives were able to find the suspect," police said.
Police said that on Tuesday officers had received a 911 emergency phone call just before 3 p.m. from the girl's father saying his daughter had been shot.
"The father stated he had just picked up his daughter and 7-year-old son from school and were attempting to exit the freeway," the police statement said, before a maroon or red Toyota sedan cut across traffic and forced him out of his lane.
"The two drivers exchanged words when Torrez pulled out a gun and shot at the red truck driven by Lilly's father. Lilly was hit at least once in the head," the statement said.
Torrez is being held in the Bernalillo County Metro Detention Center on a $650,000 bond, police said.
