Roswell man sentenced to 18 years for 2021 drunken-driving fatality in Albuquerque
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Four days after Casino Salazar was charged in a 2021 drunken-driving crash in Roswell, he ran a red light at high speed in Northeast Albuquerque and slammed into another vehicle, killing a 58-year-old man.
A district judge on Thursday cited the timing of the two collisions as a key reason for sentencing Salazar to a maximum 18 years in prison for the crash that killed Kevin Barton at Montgomery and Morris NE.
Salazar, 21, of Roswell pleaded no contest in May to vehicular homicide, driving while intoxicated, and three counts of great bodily injury by vehicle in the Nov. 20, 2021, crash that killed Barton. The crash also seriously injured three passengers in Salazar鈥檚 vehicle.
DWI fatalities are 鈥渟omething we see all too frequently here,鈥� 2nd Judicial District Judge Cindy Leos said shortly before handing down the sentence.
鈥淢r. Salazar鈥檚 case does stand out, mainly in the sense that he had the DWI in Roswell just several days before this tragic accident,鈥� Leos said. 鈥淭here just have to be stiff consequences for these types of behaviors.鈥�
Barton was killed as he was turning north onto Morris from Montgomery NE, according to a criminal complaint filed in Metropolitan Court. Salazar was driving over 90 mph on Montgomery and ran a red light when he T-boned Barton鈥檚 vehicle, it said.
On Nov. 16, 2021 鈥� just four days before the crash that killed Barton 鈥� Salazar was arrested in Roswell for DWI, evading law enforcement and other charges after he allegedly crashed a car and attempted to flee from police, according to a criminal complaint filed in Chaves County Magistrate Court. He is scheduled for trial Nov. 28 in 5th Judicial District Court on those charges.
Salazar was released from jail the following day on condition that he remain in Chaves County and abstain from drinking alcohol or operating a vehicle.
Members of Barton鈥檚 family asked Leos to sentence Salazar to the maximum 18 years in prison.
鈥淜evin was a good father, a good son,鈥� Barton鈥檚 father, Ray Barton, said at the sentencing hearing. 鈥淗e wanted to help people, and that鈥檚 what he was doing until he was taken away so savagely.鈥�
Salazar apologized to Barton鈥檚 family during his sentencing hearing, in which he appeared by Zoom from the Metropolitan Detention Center.
鈥淚 just wanted to say I鈥檓 sorry and I鈥檓 ashamed of what I did,鈥� Salazar said. 鈥淚 never went out thinking I was going to kill anybody, but it did happen. So I鈥檓 really sorry for that.鈥�
