A New Mexico man who confessed to using marijuana and meth before breaking into a house and killing a grandfather who was watching TV in a recliner will be imprisoned for ten years.
After Brian Peterson, 74, passed away on Wednesday, Mark Castello, 63, was informed of his destiny. Castello admitted to the crime of vehicular homicide.
This anguish will be with us for the rest of our lives. Nothing will ever be the same in our household. According to local CBS and Fox affiliate KRQE, Tiffany Saiz, Peterson’s daughter, stated during the court hearing that there is no real healing from an incident like this.
“I am aware of the tragic situation that I have placed the Peterson family in and what they are about to go through,” Castello said while testifying. I had no intention of doing this.
The incident happened on December 28, 2023, according to the authorities.
Officials say Castello struck a white Ford Expedition through a stop sign and collided with a home’s garage door in Albuquerque.
The Expedition pushed a parked automobile into the house after colliding with it in the garage. Peterson was struck by the second car.
Saiz said, “My dad was stuck in his recliner.” In the middle of his chest was the wheel from my parent’s vehicle. For over half an hour, he remained confined while we waited outside, absolutely powerless.
Around 12:40 p.m., Albuquerque police and rescue officers showed up. In the hospital, Peterson passed away.
Prior to being charged with DWI resulting in death, driving with a revoked license, open container, possession of drug paraphernalia, and possession of a controlled substance, Castello was also admitted to the hospital for minor injuries.
He acknowledged using marijuana and meth before driving, according to local NBC affiliate KOB. Several open alcohol containers were found in his car, according to authorities.
The publication claims that Castello has prior convictions for forgery, embezzlement, domestic abuse, and DWI.
Peterson’s wife, Jean, told local ABC affiliate KOAT that her husband was sitting in his favorite recliner at the time of the incident, while she was in a different room.
She told me that I heard a terrible crash that sounded almost like a bomb. What in the world, I thought. My automobile was parked in the living room when I turned to gaze to the left. The automobile was situated where I knew his chair to be, and I just spotted it. I was unable to see over, so I missed him.
“I went to talk to him, and he answered,” she added. Although I couldn’t see him, I could hear his voice.
She said that she relived the events of the night.
She informed me that all I could think about was Brian being stuck beneath that car.
According to Brian Peterson’s GoFundMe page, he has eleven grandchildren.
Although the page claims that his spouse is the one who keeps the family together, Brian was Jean’s pillar of support.
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