Kerri Santos charged in toddler death faces Albuquerque competency hearing

Kerri Santos will face an Albuquerque competency hearing on Thursday regarding child abuse charges. The proceeding will determine whether she is fit to stand trial in her daughter’s death. Doctors pronounced the three-year-old child dead upon hospital arrival in January 2024.

Santos arrived at UNMH with three young children. Her adult son Austin Bing and Christina Pena-Cantor accompanied her. Santos stated that her daughter felt ill before they stopped at a gas station.

Santos claimed the child fell off a toilet during that stop. Hospital staff informed officers that the toddler was already dead. Police later interviewed another child from the home.

Investigators reported that all three children had suffered sexual abuse. Police have arrested four people since the toddler died. Thursday’s court hearing will evaluate the mental fitness of Santos.

In another Albuquerque case, a jury convicted Marcos Barela of second-degree murder on Wednesday. Barela was 13 years old when he shot Sydney Wilson in 2023. Wilson was 23 years old.

Wilson tracked her stolen car to a Smith’s parking lot at Central and Coors. She confronted teenagers sitting inside the vehicle. Barela shot and killed Wilson during that confrontation.

State law limits the penalty for Barela to a juvenile facility commitment until age 21. A judge will enforce the juvenile sentence under New Mexico statutes.

North of the city, hikers rescued an injured bobcat kitten in Sandoval County. The New Mexico Wildlife Center took custody of the kitten in Española. Rescuers found thorns and cactus spines stuck in her face and paws.

Wildlife staff found no sign of the mother bobcat or other siblings. Caregivers avoid direct contact so the animal stays wild. Staff will present a stuffed bobcat toy when her eyes open.

Volunteers also cleared trash from the Santa Fe National Forest. The team collected enough debris to fill two 50-yard dumpsters at Caja del Rio. Thirty volunteers from American Rivers joined members from the Pueblos of San Ildefonso, Santa Clara, and Nambe.

Forest officials issued a camping closure for Headquarters Well in 2024 due to dumping. That closure order expires in December.

Mild weather will return across New Mexico on Friday. Mountain areas near the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and San Juan Mountains will reach the 50s. Southern areas will see temperatures rise into the 70s and 80s.

Elsewhere in Albuquerque, Kirtland AFB previewed aircraft for the upcoming Air Fiesta event. The CYFD Juvenile Justice Program announced an 81 percent high school graduation rate. Albuquerque police also seized 120,000 fentanyl pills during a recent operation.

Competency hearings evaluate whether a criminal defendant understands court proceedings. Medical examiners assess mental capacity before felony trials can proceed. Courts direct defendants toward psychiatric care if doctors find them unfit for trial.

Albuquerque police also arrested a second suspect in a fatal 2024 downtown shooting. Legal proceedings in all pending cases remain ongoing.