Man convicted of killing high school student in wreck gets one year in prison in plea deal

LAS CRUCES - A man accused of killing a high school football player while driving drunk pleaded guilty and, as part of a plea deal, was sentenced to one year in prison. 

Adolfo Gurrola, 24, pleaded guilty to one count of homicide by vehicle, one count of leaving the scene of an accident, and one count of driving while under the influence of liquor or drugs. 

Gurrola was initially sentenced to six years in prison but 3rd Judicial District Judge Douglas Driggers suspended five of the six years and granted Gurrola 191 days of time served. 

The sentencing marks an end to years of proceedings after Gurrola was accused of driving a car at high speeds and crashing it into Luis Mendez's vehicle, which was parked on Bataan Memorial West just east of Sonoma Ranch Boulevard. Mendez had been waiting for Gurrola as the two had planned to travel together to Vado that morning.

Mendez, a former Organ Mountian Football player, died as a result of the crash. In an affidavit, police said that Gurrola fled the scene and was intoxicated when the crash occurred in the early morning hours of Feb. 8, 2020.

The one-year sentence came as a disappointment to Mendez's parents, who testified Friday about the impact Gurrola's actions had on their family. 

"I am so devastated with the state (prosecutors) because I did not agree to this," Maria Mendez, the victim's mother, said. "I did not agree to one year. I haven't had my son for years."

Maria Mendez drew a contrast between the life that Gurrola will have after his sentence is served and the life her son could've had. 

"In one year, you come out (of prison). You have a great life. You get to marry. You get to have children. My son doesn't get to have any of that," Maria said. 

Maria also questioned why Gurrola initially pleaded not guilty to the charges. She said that dragged out the proceedings for two years causing additional hardships on her and her family. 

Gurrola's lawyer, Herman Ortiz, pointed out that it was rare for defendants in criminal cases to plead guilty during arraignment hearings, which typically occur in the early stages of a case. Ortiz said that he advised his client to plead not guilty so that he could gather facts to better represent his client. Nevertheless, Maria Mendez said the two years of court hearings have been wretched. 

"I have to live with this," Maria Mendez said, adding that her father passed away recently. "You dragged this out for two years."

Court records and statements made during the hearing on Friday suggest that Mendez and Gurrola were friends. Mendez's father told the court that Gurrola would come over to cookouts and family gatherings. Now, that was just another sore point for the Mendez family, the father said. 

Mendez's brother had a different response. He told Gurrola that he didn't blame him for his brother's death. The brother added that Mendez was a smart person and was looking forward to college when he died. 

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Justin Garcia covers crime, courts, public safety, and politics in Doña Ana County. They can be reached via email at JEGarcia@lcsun-news.com.