Plea Hearing Set for Woman Charged in Las Animas Pedestrian Death

(Las Animas, CO) -- Wednesday, May 27th several members of the community are planning to attend a plea sentencing hearing for a woman charged in the death of Las Animas resident Susie Martinez.

Martinez was killed by impact from a vehicle December 8th, 2025 as she crossed in the crosswalk of Highway 50 and Elm Avenue near St. Mary's Church.

There have been several victim's impact statements given during past hearings and they will be read aloud by those victims at Wednesday's plea hearing.

One of which was from John Spano, now retired from the Bent County Ambulance and Fire Department. Spano stated he was there and rushed over to try and assist but found Martinez face down and bleeding.

"My heart stopped, I couldn't hardly think as this was someone I cared a great deal for, it was my years of training that kept me going.  Within a few minutes off duty crew and officers were there to help and the ambulance arrived.  We put Susie on a backboard, got her into the ambulance and enroute to the airport to meet the helicopter." Spano recounted.

Spano concluded that he hopes the court will consider his statement when giving a sentence.

"We know that there is nothing this court can do today to bring Susie back. But I ask the court to consider the impact this loss has had on her family, friends and our community.  I believe that the results of the court's decision will impact not only this case but future cases like this.  Please consider a sentence that will send a message to help deter others from making the same mistake."

Susie's husband Cruz put pen to paper to give his feelings on how he misses his wife of 55 years. He feels that whatever sentence is handed down it will pale compared to the sentence the family is living without their loved one.

"A sentence which says I will never see my wife again.  She can say that she’s sorry and that’s a beginning, but we’re just asking for justice.  It haunts me that Susie was killed in such a senseless manner." Cruz wrote in his victim impact statement.

Marian Collins lost her mom that evening and she also wanted her thoughts known in court.

"My Mom was the rock of our family.  Every day for my entire adult life I have started my day with a phone call to her and then by spending the last 17 years with her at mine and my dad’s place of work.  She was a volunteer at St. Mary’s Church daily and supported every person she met with love and a sense that everything was going to be ok."

When Collins reached out to us at Colorado News Your Way, she explained that she never wants this to happen to another person and wouldn't want anyone's family to go through this. "It's about safety, " she summarized to me, but there was so much more to say.

In her impact statement, she concluded by stating she wants the court to consider the pain and consider the loss and consider what it means to prevent something like this from ever happening again.

Marian writes:

"It is common, and not unheard of for the defendant to be offered a lenient sentence in cases like this.  Often the plea includes suspension of sentence, restitution and community service.  If this is considered, please understand the serious impact of this leniency on my family and our community.  All that is being requested is a fair, and just sentence that to some degree forces the defendant to take accountability and responsibility for the senseless act of violence she has imposed upon us all.  Anything less will surely make my Mom’s death and impact of her death more significant and be a further act of senseless and careless violence."

Tina Tallman's sentencing hearing is set for 3:01PM at the Bent County Courthouse, Wednesday, May 27, 2026.

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