2 men facing charges after car crash kills 3 in New Mexico

WAGON MOUND, N.M. (AP) — Two men are facing charges after a car crash in the small northern New Mexico town of Wagon Mound left a woman and two small children dead.

New Mexico State Police said 22-year-old Jesse Joel Blanco allegedly was speeding on State Road 120 around 10:45 p.m. Friday when the vehicle he was driving struck a car that was backing out of a driveway.

The driver of that vehicle — 42-year-old Irene Romero — was declared dead at the scene of the collision along with her 9-year-old niece and 4-year-old granddaughter, police said.

Romero’s 21-year-old daughter was hospitalized with injuries not considered life threatening.

They said Blanco was booked into the San Miguel County Detention Center on suspicion of three counts of vehicular homicide while driving intoxicated, aggravated DWI causing great bodily harm, speeding and reckless driving.

Blanco’s passenger — 20-year-old Dominc Armijo — is facing charges of tampering with evidence for allegedly trying to hide alcohol containers after the crash, police said.

Both Blanco and Armijo are Wagon Mound residents. It was unclear Sunday if either man has a lawyer yet.

Online court records show that Blanco doesn’t have a criminal history in New Mexico, but he has been cited twice before for speeding.