NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – Laurice Montoya has pleaded guilty in a case from a 2022 death on the Jicarilla Apache Reservation. Montoya has admitted to hitting a man on the head two times with a shovel during an argument.
The victim, who is unnamed by the prosecutors, reportedly fell and had a seizure. Prosecutors say Montoya did not call for help.
It was not until a friend showed up and called 911 that emergency services arrived, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. That was about four hours after the initial injury. The victim died at the hospital.
Now, Laurice Montoya has pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter – a crime committed in the heat of passion. She has not yet been sentenced but faces up to 15 years in prison and three years of supervised release, the U.S. Department of Justice says.
