Woman Involved in Shocking Hatchet Attack: Victim Suffered 80 Wounds

A woman involved in an abhorrent crime at an Albuquerque motel has learned her grim fate. Angel Salazar, aged 40, received a life sentence for her role in the gruesome hatchet murder of Ramon Martinez. The Bernalillo County District Attorney, Sam Bregman, made the announcement on Thursday, highlighting her convictions for felony murder, second-degree murder, and evidence tampering related to the brutal incident.

In August, a jury found Salazar guilty of these charges, marking the culmination of a disturbing case. As previously reported by Law&Crime, the crime unfolded when an unidentified suspect was observed donning brass knuckles before entering a motel room. Within half an hour, both Salazar and the unknown accomplice emerged, their arms stained with blood, suggesting the timeframe during which Martinez met his tragic end.

On the morning of Sept. 5, 2023, Martinez was sitting and smoking outside a room at the Days Inn on Central Avenue in Albuquerque. Salazar and a man who has still not been identified were seen approaching him just before 10 a.m. and then following him inside the room, police said.

District Attorney Bregman revealed chilling details, stating that “Martinez was struck more than 80 times with a hatchet.” Security cameras captured Salazar and an unidentified male entering the victim’s room, only to later depart with his possessions. These grim recordings also exposed Salazar’s bloody footprints trailing from the scene.

Later that day, around 5 p.m., authorities discovered the victim’s body. A police report detailed a call about a body found with a blood trail extending approximately 100 feet from the motel room to the street. This discovery was publicly documented in a police news release at the time.

Further investigation uncovered Martinez had sustained severe cuts to the back of his head and a shoulder wound, as reported by the Albuquerque Journal, referencing a criminal complaint. Investigators also noted the presence of blood on both beds inside the room, alongside the bloody footprints outside, painting a haunting picture of the crime’s aftermath.

The victim had cuts to the back of his head and a wound to the shoulder, the Albuquerque Journal reported, citing a criminal complaint. In addition to the bloody footprints found on the ground outside of the room, investigators reported finding blood on both beds inside.

Salazar was tracked down near another hotel less than a mile from the murder scene. After she was detained, she requested medical treatment for fentanyl withdrawal and a cut to her finger, authorities said. Detectives tried to interview her, but she declined to make any statements, officials said.

Per New Mexico law, an inmate sentenced to life imprisonment becomes eligible for parole after 30 years.