ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Four people have been arrested and three have been charged with first-degree murder in the shooting death Thursday night of 18-year-old Cameron Martinez on a highway north of Española.

The shooting apparently was a case of mistaken identity. One of the alleged shooters, Mark Timothy Hice, 22, of Ojo Caliente, believed someone was looking for him and wanted to shoot him, according to a State Police news release Sunday.

Hice and his companions subsequently opened fire on the car that Martinez and three others were riding in, killing Martinez and wounding the three other people in the car with him, the State Police say.

The State Police statement adds, “The victims are not believed to have been related to any prior involvement with the suspects and were targeted as a mistake.”

Along with Hice, Anton Martinez, 19, of Santa Cruz and Axel Zamarron, 17, of Española are charged with first-degree murder. Brittany Garcia, 21, of Ojo Caliente faces conspiracy and tampering with evidence charges.

The shooting took place about 9:30 p.m. Thursday on N.M. 68 on Ohkay Owingeh pueblo, just north of Española.

Responding officers found a blue Subaru WRX in the northbound lane with two

Martinez, along with several others, were riding in a white Kia Optima driven by Garcia, Hice’s girlfriend. Zamarron and other friends were traveling in a separate tan Nissan passenger car on N.M. 68.

The news release states: “Hice observed a blue vehicle approaching them at a high rate of speed. He stated to agents he feared the blue vehicle belonged to someone he felt was a threat.

“Hice and Martinez in their vehicle, along with Zamarron in the Nissan, opened fire on the blue vehicle. This shooting resulted in the death of Cameron Martinez, and serious injuries to three other people.”

The three surviving shooting victims – who have not been identified – have all

been released from medical treatment and are in stable condition, the State Police said.

Rice, Anton Martinez and Zamarron face other charges in addition to first-murder, including three counts each of shooting at a motor vehicle resulting in great bodily harm, conspiracy to commit aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, conspiracy to tamper with evidence in a capital offense and tampering with evidence.

Hice has faced a few criminal charges such as battery, false imprisonment and DWI dating back to 2014, but most of the counts were dismissed. He has also been cited several times for traffic

violations like speeding.