A Salem man will spend more than nine years in prison after pleading guilty to second-degree manslaughter in the death of his then-girlfriend, who prosecutors say was ejected from the car he was driving in May 2024. Investigators say video and vehicle data show the woman was hanging out of a passenger window before a short acceleration and hard braking sent her into the roadway, and that the driver did not seek medical help. The victim was identified as 28-year-old Carla Vasquez.
Judge Imposes Stiffer Sentence
Marion County Circuit Court Judge Sean Armstrong sentenced Atilano III Davalos III on Tuesday to a 110-month term, which equals 9 years and 2 months, after Davalos pleaded guilty to one count of manslaughter in the second degree, according to the Marion County District Attorney’s Office. Davalos had asked the court for a 91-month sentence under the plea agreement, but the state pushed for an enhanced term and the judge ordered that Davalos be ineligible for early release or certain programming. The district attorney’s release states prosecutors consulted with the victim’s family before accepting the plea.
Video And Car Data At The Center Of The Case
According to prosecutors, a video pulled from Davalos’ phone shows Vasquez, who had been drinking, hanging out of the front passenger window while Davalos can be heard telling her to get back into the car. Vehicle data reportedly show he then accelerated slightly and braked sharply, which caused her to be ejected. The car’s built-in dash camera recorded him stopping, briefly getting out and then driving away. Those details were summarized in local reporting by KPTV.
Body Found On Rural Avenue
A short time after she was thrown from the vehicle, Vasquez’s body was discovered in the roadway in the 1000 block of Rural Avenue Southwest in Salem, and paramedics pronounced her dead at the scene, the city said. The city’s initial news release notes that surveillance video captured a passing vehicle minutes before the 911 call, and investigators asked the public to come forward with any information or potential witnesses. The official city release was posted by the City of Salem.
Arrest And Earlier Charges
Davalos was arrested on June 20, 2024, after Salem SWAT assisted detectives serving a warrant at a home in the 2900 block of Mendocino Drive NE, according to local records. He was initially booked on a second-degree murder charge and had prior convictions dating back to 2006, based on court records cited in early coverage. Those details were reported by the Salem Reporter.
Legal Process And Sentencing Rationale
Prosecutors first charged Davalos with manslaughter in the first degree, which carries a minimum 120-month sentence. The Marion County District Attorney’s Office said it later agreed to a second-degree manslaughter plea after consulting with Vasquez’s family. At sentencing, the state argued for an enhanced term, and Judge Armstrong went with that recommendation. The district attorney’s release notes that the sentence does not allow for early release or other programming and that Deputy District Attorney Katharine Semple prosecuted the case. The office’s release includes the full summary of its findings and rationale.
The ruling effectively closes the criminal case for now. Local outlets and the district attorney’s office had provided updates as investigators and prosecutors worked the case in the months after Vasquez’s death in May 2024. For a fuller look at the reporting and timeline, see coverage from KPTV.
