Sentence for man who killed child at River of Lights could be reduced

SANTA FE, NM — The man sentenced to 27 years in prison for beating and killing a child at the River of Lights could be released sooner under a recent ruling by the New Mexico Supreme Court.

Sergio Almanza was drunk when he ran a red light and crashed his ATV into Pronoy Bhattacharya in December 2021. He died and his father was injured. After the accident, he fled to Mexico. U.S. Marshals then worked with authorities to extradite and arrest him.

In August of last year, a jury found Almanza guilty of intoxicated manslaughter, tampering with evidence and driving an all-terrain vehicle on a roadway. A judge sentenced him to 27 years in prison earlier this month.

Almanza has already served two of those 27 years, but he could serve less time. A recent state Supreme Court ruling on drunken driving laws means Almanza is entitled to good time he has already served, cutting about five years off his sentence.

New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez blames the state legislature for this. He issued the following statement:

“Anyone who witnessed this crime and the carnage knows that this is a violent crime. But now Almanza’s final sentence will be reduced by five years because the legislature failed to properly classify the offense. This is unacceptable and I call on the legislature to honor Pronoy’s memory and change this law in the next legislative session.”