Authorities arrest suspect in Santa Fe hit-and-run crash that killed longtime city employee

Authorities on Friday arrested the suspect in an October hit-and-run crash that killed a longtime Santa Fe city employee and injured her children.

Mario Mendez, 30, was taken into custody “without incident” around 5 p.m. in El Paso, Texas, said Denise Womack Avila, a spokeswoman for the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office.

Mendez is charged with vehicular homicide, failure to render aid and two counts of child abuse, in addition to lesser charges, in the Oct. 15 crash that left Monique Maes, 43, dead and hurt her two children, 12 and 8.

Avila said Mendez would be booked into the El Paso County jail “pending extradition to New Mexico.”

“It is our hope that this brings some comfort to the family of Mrs. Maes, and the community of Santa Fe, knowing that this fugitive is in custody,” Womack Avila said in a statement.

Santa Fe County deputies were able to capture Mendez with help from the Doña Ana County Sheriff’s Office, New Mexico State Police, U.S. Marshals and Texas Department of Public Safety, she said.

According to an online obituary, Maes worked for the city of Santa Fe for more than 25 years, most recently as a contract administrator for the Buckman Diversion water treatment plant.

“Monique will be remembered as a dedicated mother to her children with a passion for life,” according to the obituary. “... She will be greatly missed by her loving family.”

At the time of the crash, Santa Fe Mayor Alan Weber released a statement mourning the loss of Maes, while colleagues took to social media to share stories and grieve.

It was around 6:10 p.m. when Santa Fe deputies responded to the crash along Paseo Nopal, north of West Alameda, and found Maes critically injured and her children with minor injuries.

A witness described the suspect’s vehicle as a white SUV and deputies found pieces of the vehicle and belongings tied to Mendez near the crash site. The SUV was later found abandoned in a rural area outside Santa Fe.

The witness who saw the suspect wasn’t certain when looking at a photo array that included Mendez, but told deputies, “I guess the closest to the suspect would be this one” and pointed at his photo.