Two teens sentenced in 2022 gas station murder

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – Over two years ago, a group of teens shot at a vehicle killing Kayla Montaño in the process . On Friday, two of them will be facing time in prison. It was a case of mistaken identity where Diamond Salazar told a group of males to go after a vehicle she thought robbed her. Prosecutors say one of the males, Estevan Lucero, was out for blood and had full intent to kill.

“But to say you had a fight response to protect Diamond is not the entire picture of this story and I know because I’ve heard the entire testimony of the detective. I’ve the entire testimony of a lot of different witnesses,” said Judge Courtney Weaks, saying she has heard testimonies and evidence that say the crime was not justified the night of March 25, 2022.

Five teens were accused of murdering Kayla Montaño after 30 rounds of bullets were fired at her SUV at the Maverik gas station on Princeton. Diamond Salazar, 19, told three juvenile males Ty Gallegos, Adam Sedillo, and Estevan Lucero to go after the SUV she thought had robbed her.

“If Diamond had simply called the police or asked the boys to meet at her place and not the gas station. She wouldn’t have turned those boys into murderers,” said the mother of the victim.

“She called her 14-year-old boyfriend knowing full well what he was capable of. She called Estevan in a matter of seconds and made him a murderer and took an innocent life,” the brother of the victim said.

Lucero has been called the main culprit by the prosecutors after they showed a video of him in an orange sweater shooting at the vehicle. “Mr. Lucero, we believe, is the killer in this instance. He’s the one that does not cower like the two others as you saw in the video,” said a prosecuting attorney.

“He is not a ‘murdering child,’ as he’s been called. He’s a child who made a horrible mistake,” said Lucero’s mother.

“I didn’t mean for anything to happen. I guess, I’m sorry. That’s all I could say so, thank you,” said Lucero.

Salazar was sentenced to 19 years in prison. Lucero was sentenced to 22 years.

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