BELEN—Two Belen brothers have been arrested and charged with shooting and killing a man in front of their house Friday night. 

Belen Police Chief James Harris said the incident occurred at about 10 p.m., Friday, June 17, in the area of First Street and Mirabel Avenue. 

The two brothers, 19-year-old Charles Rogers and William Rogers, 21, pulled into their driveway of the home they live in with their parents, when one of them got out to open the gate. The police chief said Mauro Pillado, 47, of Belen, had been parked in an empty field nearby and had pulled up behind the two brothers. 

“He starts arguing with the brothers,” Harris said of Pillado. “Apparently, they (the brothers) didn’t know who he was. (Pillado) was known to police as an antagonist.”

The chief said as Pillado continued to yell, the one brother who was outside of the car walked up to the vehicle and told his brother to get his gun. Harris said the brothers each had a gun and approached Pillado’s vehicle.

“They walk up to him and told him to leave,” Harris said. “Both had weapons.”

The chief said Pillado “slapped one of the guns.”

“That’s when one of the brothers fires his gun and the other opens fire as well,” Harris said. “Mr. Pillado was declared deceased on scene.”

Charles and William Rogers are both charged with second-degree murder and conspiracy to commit second-degree murder. They were booked into the Valencia County Detention Center early Saturday morning. 

Chief Harris said neither Rogers brother has a criminal record. 

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Clara Garcia is the editor and publisher of the Valencia County News-Bulletin.
She is a native of the city of Belen, beginning her journalism career at the News-Bulletin in 1998 as the crime and courts reporter. During her time at the paper, Clara has won numerous awards for her writing, photography and typography and design both from the National Newspaper Association and the New Mexico Press Association.