ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – One young New Mexico man keeps getting breaks in court, even as his record keeps getting worse.

Matthew Nieto was in court Friday for his role in a 2017 carjacking and crash at Eubank and Menaul that killed an innocent man, D’Markus Blea. Judge Cindy Leos sentenced him only to probation.

It didn’t take long for Nieto to violate his probation, five days after that court hearing. He was arrested for choking his girlfriend but was released back on probation by Judge Michael Martinez.

Then last January, a New Mexico State Police officer spotted Nieto speeding on I-40. When he tried to pull him over, Nieto crashed into a car on Eubank and then took off on foot.

Judge Martinez accepted Nieto’s plea deal, allowing him to avoid jail time again and putting him on probation. In a statement, the District Attorney’s Office said they believed the plea deal was the best outcome for this case adding Nieto is serving 18 months on a probation violation and will not be released until July 2021.

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