Malachi Velasquez-McCormick faces pretrial detention in fatal Albuquerque crash

Prosecutors want Malachi Velasquez-McCormick held in jail before trial after a fatal weekend crash in Albuquerque. An 11-year-old boy died and multiple people were taken to local hospitals.

Family and friends held a candlelight vigil Monday night at La Palomita Park. They identified the victim as 11-year-old Braxton Ahasteen. Ahasteen played youth football for the Sandia Matadors.

“He was a very good leader of our football team, very strong, played with a lot of heart. It’s just hard to see him go like that,” said Jimmy Gallegos, Braxton’s coach.

Gallegos met Ahasteen when the boy was 7 years old. He noted the strong bond they shared over the years.

The 18-year-old Velasquez-McCormick was in a car with three other people, according to New Mexico State Police. State police said he was speeding on eastbound I-40. He tried to pass a semi-truck by moving into the right lane. Police say he returned to the left lane and hit another vehicle.

Both cars rolled over. Police say Velasquez-McCormick admitted to drinking alcohol and smoking marijuana before the crash occurred.

The state filed a motion for pretrial detention to keep him in custody until his trial. Pretrial detention motions ask a judge to deny bond based on public safety concerns. A hearing in Albuquerque determines whether a defendant remains jailed.

The fatal collision remains part of an active state police investigation.