A Corona family said Tuesday that it’s shocked and puzzled after learning the driver who struck and killed a family member is set to be released from the state prison next month.
Noemi Velado was sentenced to nine years in prison after being convicted of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence and a felony hit-and-run in 2020. Jurors found Velado guilty of killing Benjamin Montalvo, who was riding his bicycle near Centennial High School, as she was speeding and texting at the time of the crash.
But Montalvo’s family received a notice from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) that Velado would be released next month after serving only two years out of her nine-year sentence.
“It takes us right back to the time of trial and feels like a gut punch,” Kellie Montalvo, Benjamin’s mom, said while standing in his bedroom.
On the CDCR website, Velado, 28, was still listed at the Department of Corrections in Corona. The website also notes that “incarcerated persons may earn credits for participating in rehabilitative programming, which may move their parole eligible date to an earlier date.” It did not say exactly when the driver would be released.
“I keep thinking it’s a clerical error. And I keep thinking and have hope it’s a mistake, but that thread of hope is becoming thinner and thinner,” the victim’s mom said. “I don’t know if there will ever be such a thing of closure, but there can be moments of peace and memories. We don’t get to make new memories.
In response to NBC Los Angeles’ request for comment, the CDCR only responded with a link to Velado’s case on its website.
The Montalvo family started a foundation called “Safe Inland Empire,” which advocates for traffic safety for pedestrians and cyclists.
