Amended charges filed in fatal crash

A Roosevelt County man involved in a fatal car crash last week is facing additional charges, including vehicular homicide, and may now be asked to wear an ankle monitor as part of the terms of his release.

Court records show Fredy Portillo, 31, was released from Roosevelt County Jail on Thursday on a personal recognize bond, charged with leaving the scene of an accident, abuse of a child and driving without a license.

An ongoing investigation has since revealed Portillo was driving without headlights and with an open container in his vehicle, District Attorney Quentin Ray said on Monday. That information led to the vehicular homicide charge filed after Portillo’s release from custody, Ray said.

Rayleen Vasquez, 22, of Santa Rosa was killed in the crash at the intersection of State Road 267 and South Roosevelt Road V about 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.

Vasquez family members have been critical of Portillo’s release without bond. Veronica Bragg, a cousin of the victim, called Portillo’s release “an insult” to the family. “There needs to be justice,” she said.

“I did talk with family and I do intend to ask the court to reconsider conditions of his release,” Ray said on Monday. He said he plans to ask the court for Portillo to wear an ankle monitor, but “I don’t know if the judge will do it or not.”

“In hindsight the state should have been at the arraignment (to ask for stricter conditions related to release) … It just happened so fast, our office didn’t have a case file open yet. We also didn’t know things we now know,” Ray said.

Court records show Portillo is accused of walking away from the accident with a small child prior to emergency workers arriving on the scene. The child was treated for a broken arm and other injuries related to the crash the day after the wreck, which helped police locate Portillo and arrest him last Wednesday. Records show Portillo was arrested without incident.

A New Mexico State Police spokesperson said the crash is under investigation and a report “will not be available for a couple weeks.”

Ray said investigators obtained a search warrant after Portillo’s release from jail, which led to the information that resulted in the amended charges.

“I am absolutely livid (Portillo) has been let out … while he is unauthorized to drive … and fled the scene, not to mention risking his own son’s well being,” Bragg said.

Bragg, who lives in Utah, said her niece is the same age as Vasquez and they were a close family that often gathered at a grandmother’s house in California.

“She was a typical 22-year-old,” Bragg said of her cousin.

“She last worked at McDonald’s … She was vibrant, a very girly girl, into the makeup and hair. She was very outspoken and a fun person, very positive. And she loved her kids.”

Obituary information showed Vasquez is survived by two children.