GREELEY, Colo. – A 37-year-old man has been sentenced to up to 24 years in prison for hitting and killing a Weld County sheriff’s deputy while she was riding a motorcycle to work. Norberto Garcia-Gonzales, who is in the country illegally, will also face deportation after serving the sentence.
Judge Timothy Kerns handed down the maximum sentence for fleeing the scene of a crash involving death. Garcia-Gonzales pleaded guilty to leaving the scene of a crash involving death and will also serve time for driving under restraint for an alcohol-related offense and obstructing a peace officer.
The incident occurred on September 18, 2022, when Garcia-Gonzales pulled out in front of 24-year-old Alexis Hein-Nutz, who was driving a motorcycle southbound on Weld County Road 37. Garcia-Gonzales fled the scene into a cornfield on foot, and Hein-Nutz was declared dead at the scene.
The courtroom was packed with law enforcement officers from the Weld County Sheriff’s Office, Loveland Police Department, and Colorado State Patrol as Hein-Nutz’s family and colleagues spoke about the impact Garcia-Gonzales’ actions had on their lives.
The Weld County Sheriff Steve Reams pleaded for the maximum sentence, stating, “There is no place for (Garcia-Gonzales) in civilized society. No punishment seems fair. Nothing can bring Alexis back.”
Garcia-Gonzales, in a statement read by an interpreter, expressed remorse but was credited 481 days off his sentence for time served.
This tragic incident serves as a reminder of the devastating consequences of irresponsible driving and the need for justice in such cases.