Man who murdered fellow moviegoer in row 'over reserved seats' sentenced to 20 years in jail

A 21-year-old man convicted of second-degree murder has been sentenced after an altercation in a movie theater that allegedly began with two people sitting in the wrong seats.

Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman announced the sentencing of Enrique Padilla in a post on Facebook on February 12, where he shared that Padilla had pleaded no contest to charges of second-degree murder and tampering with evidence.

The charges stemmed from the June 2023 altercation which took place in Northeast Albuquerque, when Padilla and his girlfriend reserved a pair of seats at a movie theater before making their way into the screening of Jennifer Lawrence's raunchy comedy, No Hard Feelings.

Jennifer Lawrence in No Hard Feelings (Sony Pictures)

According to the Albuquerque Police Department, witnesses described how a man, later identified as Padilla, began confronting another customer after he believed they were sat in the seats reserved by Padilla and his girlfriend.

The customer in question was Michael Tenorio, 52, who had gone to the movies with his wife.

Police said staff at the theater tried to help to 'resolve the dispute', but the confrontation continued and Padilla allegedly ended up throwing 'a bucket of popcorn at Tenorio and his wife'.

Tenorio is said to have responded by pushing Padilla, at which point 'several shots were fired'.

In his Facebook post, Bregman claimed: "Padilla pulled out a gun and shot and killed Tenorio, then hid the gun to make it look like he was a victim as well."

Police said Tenorio was struck and fell to the ground, where he died at the scene.

Enrique Padilla was a teenager at the time of the shooting (Office of the Second Judicial District Attorney)

Padilla, whose no contest plea means he has not admitted guilt in the case, was found hiding near a bush close to an emergency exit at the theater, having also suffered a gunshot wound for which he was later treated. Meanwhile, Padilla's girlfriend is said to have got into a physical fight with Tenorio’s wife before the girlfriend also ran from the scene, police said in a statement.

A teenager at the time, Padilla was arrested and went on to face a trial. However, he stopped the proceedings in November 2024 when he pled no contest.

Tenorio, who was an Army veteran, has been described as a 'beloved husband' and father.

During the sentencing hearing, his sister said she was 'angry and hurt' over the loss of her brother, saying his life had been taken 'needlessly', KRQE reports.

Padilla has been sentenced to 20 years in prison.