Las Cruces man sentenced to over 30 years in prison after striking, killing 2 with SUV

LAS CRUCES, New Mexico -- A Las Cruces man convicted of striking and killing two people with his SUV in May 2017 will now likely spend the rest of his life in prison.

"I'm sorry about what happened," said 52-year-old Carlos Garcia. "God bless my soul and the families too. It was not intentional."

Garcia was sentenced to 31 and a half years in prison for the second-degree murders of 29-year-old Denise Chavez and 36-year-old Arturo Cordova near the intersection of Winters Street and Valley View Avenue.

"This was definitely intentional, your honor," said Gerald Byers, the Doña Ana County Chief Deputy District Attorney.

Family members told Judge Doug Driggers that Garcia was looking for a party the night of May 6th. In tears, they said he grew violent as he drank more liquor.

According to the District Attorney's Office, forensic data showed Garcia sped toward Chavez and Cordova without ever applying the brakes.

"When you have a person who was struck with such force that their brain is ejected from their skull, that says it all," Byers told ABC-7.

While the family received the maximum sentence, the family told Judge Doug Driggers that both victims left behind a total of six children.

 "There's still going to be that empty place at the dinner table," Byers said.

 "It’s something that happened and was horrible," Garcia said. "I’m sorry.”