Plea Deal in Fatal Hit-and-Run Case | Santa Fe News

A 36-year-old woman, Stephanie Renee Salazar, accepted a plea deal for voluntary manslaughter after a hung jury in the fatal hit-and-run that killed 27-year-old Carmela Mercedes Moreno in Española. Salazar’s pickup allegedly struck Moreno, dragging her through a barbed-wire fence; Moreno survived the crash but died en route to the hospital. Salazar, who turned herself in days later, will serve four years — two suspended — likely ending up behind bars for only about two years after time already served. The prosecution called the deal the best path to justice, but the victim’s family condemned it as too lenient, insisting it was murder. Salazar tearfully apologized, citing addiction and relationship struggles, while the judge noted the sentence was unusually short for taking a life. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/455af998d218952b