A New Mexico woman will spend the rest of her life behind bars for her role in a brutal hatchet killing at an Albuquerque motel.
Angel Salazar, 40, was sentenced to life in prison for felony murder, second-degree murder, and tampering with evidence in connection with the death of Ramon Martinez, Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman announced Thursday. A jury found her guilty in August.
The attack happened on the morning of September 5, 2023, at a Days Inn on Central Avenue. Martinez had been sitting outside smoking when Salazar and an unidentified man approached him just before 10 a.m. Security footage showed the pair following him into his motel room. Investigators said the male suspect put on brass knuckles before going inside.
About 30 minutes later, Salazar and the man were seen leaving the room with blood on their arms and Martinez’s belongings. During that time, authorities believe Martinez was attacked and killed.
“Martinez was struck more than 80 times with a hatchet,” Bregman said. “Security camera footage captured Salazar and an unidentified male entering the victim’s motel room and later leaving with his belongings. The footage also revealed Salazar’s bloody footprints as she exited the scene.”
Hours later, Martinez’s body was discovered inside the room, with a blood trail leading down the street. He had suffered deep wounds to the back of his head and shoulder, and investigators found blood throughout the room and outside on the pavement.
Police arrested Salazar less than a mile away near another hotel. She was treated for fentanyl withdrawal and a cut on her finger but refused to make a statement to detectives.
The unidentified male suspect remains at large. Under New Mexico law, Salazar will be eligible for parole after 30 years.
Well the fools hit what they deserve