Albuquerque –
On June 9, 2024, at approximately 6:15 PM, emergency responders arrived at the intersection of Grape Ave SE and Wallace St SE in response to reports of a crash involving injuries. Witnesses reported seeing a red Ford F-150 pickup truck and a dark blue Buick sedan at the scene. Several bystanders observed a heavy-set woman wearing a red shirt and blue shorts fleeing eastbound on foot. The woman could be seen jumping fences as she ran.
Upon arriving at the scene, officers made contact with the driver of the red Ford F-150. The woman reported that she was traveling southbound on Wallace St when the dark blue Buick, heading eastbound on Grape Ave, ran a stop sign and t-boned his vehicle. The driver of the Ford pickup confirmed seeing the woman flee on foot.
During her escape, the suspect, later identified as Leticia Lucero, 36, of Albuquerque, dropped her phone in a nearby yard. Deputies retrieved the phone and used law enforcement databases to identify Lucero. The dark blue Buick, was registered to Leticia’s mother, Veronica Contreras, who resided on the 500 block of Grape Ave SE.
Deputies went to the residence and spoke with Lucero’s mom, who initially denied any knowledge of the crash. However, after a few minutes, the mom admitted that Leticia was inside the house and agreed to retrieve her. Deputies overheard the mom telling Lucero, “It’s time to face the music,” as she entered her daughter’s room.
Lucero was taken into custody without incident and is expected to face charges related to the hit-and-run crash