Santiago Martinez pleaded guilty in federal court to voluntary manslaughter for the death of his girlfriend, DeAnna Autumn Leaf Suazo, a talented Indigenous artist, following a late-night argument in November 2021.
According to court records, on November 12, 2021, Martinez and his girlfriend, DeAnna Suazo, were at their shared home, where they consumed alcohol and listened to music in her vehicle.
Early in the morning hours, the couple engaged in a heated argument outside their home about the future of their relationship, during which Suazo reiterated her desire to end things. The argument escalated into a physical altercation, leading to Martinez intentionally running over Suazo with her SUV, resulting in her death due to mechanical asphyxia and blunt trauma
Although Martinez had consumed alcohol, he acknowledged being aware of his actions and their wrongfulness at the time of the incident.
DeAnna Autumn Leaf Suazo (Diné, Taos Pueblo) was a talented artist and the daughter of Native American artists Geraldine Tso, a Navajo artist, and David Gary Suazo, a Taos Pueblo painter.
She celebrated her Indigenous heritage through figural paintings of strong Indigenous women, blending traditional and contemporary styles with inspiration from Japanese manga.
Suazo’s work was exhibited nationwide, including at the IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts and the Balzer Contemporary Edge Gallery.
In 2022, IAIA established the DeAnna Autumn Leaf Suazo Memorial Fund for Indigenous female artists in the MFA in Studio Arts Program, honoring her legacy and contributions to the art world.
At sentencing, Martinez faces between 10 and 15 years in prison, followed by not less than three years of supervised release.
