Man who hit and killed Albuquerque woman heads to court

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Jose Ortiz Munoz will be in court this week in connection to a fatal crash last year.

Munoz is charged with homicide by vehicle, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of a controlled substance.

Since then, Munoz has been free and the family said that has been almost as painful as losing Erika Chavez, who was killed in the crash.

“To think that you’re going to see the person that not only changed our lives, but ruined our lives its been very difficult, and to think this kid has been running around the streets, possibly hurting other families at risk and in danger is very heartbreaking to us, and we’re just glad that he’s going to be off the streets such so that nobody has to go through what we’ve gone through past 11 months," said Rose Rivera, Erika’s aunt.

The death of Chavez launched the "Speeding Has A Name" campaign.

“This is not an issue in a particular neighborhood,” said Mayor Tim Keller. “This happens all over the city, it has nothing to do with demographics or with area of town, it is a challenge all over the city of Albuquerque.”

The Albuquerque Police Department said during the pandemic, it’s only gotten worse.

“We need to ensure there is accountability for these individuals and that we devote resources to these problems,” said APD Chief Harold Medina.

The "Speeding Has A Name Campaign" starts Monday with TV, radio spots, billboards, and info on social media to make sure the community is united against a preventable problem.

“Our lives have forever changed and it was important for us to come out here and share our story to ensure another family doesn’t go through what we’re going through right now,” said Rose.