Mom gets 21 years in death of son’s friend
Judge: Loretta Villalobos knew of death and did nothing
LOS LUNAS — The mother of a teenager who allegedly killed his 12-year-old friend three years ago in Meadow Lake was sentenced Thursday for not doing enough to protect the victim.
Thirteenth Judicial District Judge James Lawrence Sanchez sentenced 41-year-old Loretta Villalobos to the maximum of 21 years in prison. Villalobos was found guilty by a jury in December on one count of negligent child abuse resulting in death, a first-degree felony, and two counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor — one count for her son, Brandon, and another for Alex Madrid, who police say was killed by the younger Villalobos on Feb. 17, 2014.
Sanchez found Brandon Villalobos, now 18, was not competent to stand trial last year. He had been indicted by a grand jury on one count of first-degree murder and one count of tampering with evidence.
Madrid’s body was found after relatives reported him missing. During the sheriff’s investigation, Brandon Villalobos took sheriff’s detectives to where Madrid was, lying dead underneath a discarded mattress.
According to court documents, the two had been arguing and Brandon stated that “Alex attempted to stab him with a yellow-handled screwdriver and Brandon defended himself, striking Alex on the left side of his face near his eye.”
After Madrid fell, according to an affidavit, Brandon covered him with the mattress.
During the sentencing hearing Thursday, Madrid’s mother, Roxanne, asked the judge to impose the maximum sentence, knowing it wouldn’t bring back her son.
“My son meant the world to me,” Madrid told the judge. “He was sweet and innocent in many ways.”
She said losing Alex has not only affected the family and their friends, but the whole community as well. She said her other children have been in therapy since Alex’s death and are still trying to cope with the murder.
“Our family will never be the same; he’ll never become a doctor and help other people,” she said. “Alex only wanted to be his friend.”
Loretta Villalobos apologized to the Madrid family, saying she is upset with her son but is more hurt for the family because they lost their son.
Assistant District Attorney Bryan McKay asked the judge to impose the maximum sentence of 21 years, saying Loretta Villalobos allowed Brandon and Alex to leave her house that night knowing they were going to vandalize mobile homes in Meadow Lake. He told the judge that when Brandon returned home, saying they had been jumped by guys with guns, she failed to call the police or look for Alex.
While handing down his sentence, the judge told Loretta Villalobos his heart breaks for her as well as the victim’s family but ... “We will never know what could have happened if you would have just done something ...”