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Trial begins in crash that killed two teenage girls
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Jurors in the trial of a man facing a pair of murder charges in the deaths of two 14-year-old girls were offered differing accounts Monday of the 2022 collision that took their lives.
Roger Wilson, 28, faces two counts of first-degree murder in the July 29, 2022, deaths of the girls, who were thrown from a car following a high-speed collision.
Prosecutors allege Wilson used a stolen car as a weapon by intentionally ramming a blue Hyundai occupied by four people following an alcohol-fueled argument at Pat Hurley Park on Albuquerque鈥檚 West Side.
Wilson pursued the Hyundai at high speed east on Central Avenue and forced it off the road at Tingley and Central, a prosecutor said in opening statements.
The car rolled into a parking lot at The Beach apartment, 2525 Tingley Drive, killing Alyssa Salazar and Alize Henson, both 14, and seriously injuring their two male companions, then ages 16 and 21.
Wilson also faces two counts of great bodily harm by vehicle, driving while intoxicated, for injuries of the Hyundai鈥檚 driver, Zabihollah Yaqubi, also called 鈥淪am,鈥� and passenger Horacio Cordova.
The 2nd Judicial District Court trial is expected to continue through Jan. 15 before District Judge Brett Loveless.
Wilson鈥檚 attorney, Stefanie Gulley, said in opening statements that Yaqubi caused the collision when he attempted to cut off the silver Honda that Wilson was driving.
鈥淲hat the state鈥檚 own witness will say is that Sam in his Hyundai cut my client off,鈥� Gulley said. 鈥淪am loses control of the vehicle, causing him to flip and roll.鈥�
Gulley told jurors her account is based on a police officer鈥檚 reconstruction of the collision drawn from traffic video.
鈥淭he question is going to be who caused the accident, how the accident occurred and who is responsible for the two deaths,鈥� Gulley said.
Gulley also said Wilson became angry because he was beaten by Yaqubi and Cordova at Pat Hurley Park and followed them to learn their identities.
鈥淗e鈥檚 trying to figure out who these people are,鈥� she said. 鈥淗e wants to go to the police.鈥�
Prosecutor Guinevere Ice told jurors that Wilson became angry during 鈥渉eated exchange鈥� at Pat Hurley Park, after he began talking with the two girls.
鈥淎t some point, he became upset and irate,鈥� Ice told jurors. Yaqubi, Cordova and the girls 鈥渄ecided they didn鈥檛 want any part of this situation鈥� and drove away from the park, she said.
Wilson then stole a car from a companion and began to pursue Yaqubi鈥檚 car, Ice told jurors. When the two cars stopped at a red light, Wilson bumped Yaqubi鈥檚 car several times, she said.
Yaqubi ran the red light and sped east on Central attempting to get away from Wilson, who pulled up in a bus lane and struck Yaqubi鈥檚 car.
Wilson continued driving east on Central after the collision but crashed into a tree near Central and Rio Grande, then ran from the scene, Ice said.
