Plea agreement reached in triple homicide

One of the three men accused will testify against the other two

One of three men accused in a Sandoval County triple homicide has accepted a plea agreement that requires him to testify against the remaining suspects, according to court documents.

Samuel Jimenez-Perez, 23, pleaded guilty late last month to three counts of conspiracy to commit kidnapping and one count of tampering with evidence. The agreement requires Jimenez-Perez to “fully cooperate” with the state in its prosecution of Omar Flores-Castillo and Alberto Rodriguez. He must provide “honest and accurate testimony” at trials for both, the agreement says.

The two are facing murder and lesser charges in the deaths of Geraldine Sena, 48, Samuel Sena, 25, and John Santistevan, 32.

Deputies in Sandoval County launched a homicide investigation in late February after a ranch manager found a stolen truck abandoned in a rural portion of the county, and spattered with blood and brain matter. Fingerprints found on the truck and a beer can linked Flores-Castillo, Rodriguez and Jimenez-Perez to the crime, according to a criminal

complaint.

Jimenez-Perez later led detectives to the spot in rural Sandoval County where the three victims were buried.

According to a complaint, Jimenez-Perez said that he, his co-defendants and the victims had been involved in a stolen car ring, which moved cars to Mexico for sale. He said the three victims may have stolen drugs from Flores-Castillo or spoken inappropriately to his “Mexican connections.” Santiestevan and the Senas were shot as they sat in the back seat of the truck.

In exchange for his plea, the state agreed that Jimenez-Perez will face a maximum of 12 years in prison. His attorney could not be reached for comment Wednesday.