VALENCIA COUNTY, N.M. – A judge rejected a plea deal for Richard Molina, the man charged in a drunk-driving crash that killed Veronica Ferraro last year.
Molina appeared in court Tuesday afternoon for what was supposed to be a plea agreement. Prosecutors had expected him to plead guilty to vehicular homicide and two other charges.
This was Molina’s fourth charge of driving while under the influence. His fourth charge also included a homicide by vehicle charge.
“I just wanted justice for my sister. I didn’t know, you know, what could come of it, but we just wanted justice for her,” Joelle Gonzales said.
It has been 11 months since Gonzales, Brenda Baray and their mother heard Ferraro’s voice. “She was so loved for everyone, so love. We were gonna meet the next day to do lunch,” Catalina Bustamante said.
The judge did not accept the plea agreement, which would have meant 10 years in prison for what the court described as a non-violent offense.
“These are obviously very emotional cases. So, for both sides, I understand that. But the court is just unwilling to accept a plea agreement that does not consider this a serious violent offense,” the judge said. “I think the nature and circumstances of the case indicate to the court that that it is a serious violent offense, and because of that, the parties are going to need to discuss whether or not they can reach a resolution.”
Ferraro’s family said they want more than justice as they approach the anniversary of her death and continue honoring her memory.
“I just wanted to to be here to trying to close this chapter that we’ve been through a lot in this year, and it’s just anniversary coming, so we we want to be together and we’re strong family,” Bustamante said.
“We adopted the highway in honor of my sister because it was on the road of her passing,” Brenda Baray said. “It’s something special to us.”
The family said they adopted the highway in Ferraro’s honor and want to use that tribute to speak out against drunk driving.
“Don’t do that no more. It hurts so much to see all the kids, like the my grandbabies, not having a mom and a dad. It’s terrible. No way that we’re gonna see somebody else suffering to this.” Bustamante said.
