Married Couple Pleads Guilty to Charges in Accidental Death Case

SAN ANGELO, TX - The family of Joe Carlos Lopez had the opportunity to receive some closure today, as the two individuals involved in Lopez's death, pled guilty in court. Lopez lost his life after a hit and run accident in the early hours of August 2, 2015 when he was struck by an SUV while skateboarding down S. Chadbourne St. The driver of the vehicle fled the scene after the accident.

The hit-and-run happened on August 2, 2015. From surveillance footage from a nearby building, investigating officers learned that a vehicle, that appeared to be a white vehicle matching the description of a Ford Explorer or Expedition, had hit Lopez. During further investigation of the crime scene, officers were able to locate various debris that pointed towards a damaged headlight. However, for a little over a month, officers had no idea what happened to the car. 

Then, in mid-September, a tip led officers to Lubbock where they were informed that the white Ford vehicle had been exchanged for a red passenger vehicle. Thereafter, Officers were informed that the former owner of the white Ford was a Christopher Lee Mata. 

SAPD officers found Mata's residence and observed a white and red vehicle parked in the driveway of his residence. After further investigation, the previous owner of the red and white vehicle confirmed that both Mata and a Nicole Lorelle Johnson had traded-in their white Ford for the red and white car. Furthermore, officers found evidence proving that Johnson had attempted to buy a new headlight for the Ford vehicle to fix the broken front headlight. 

Early this morning, nearly 2 years after the fatal hit-and-run accident, Christopher Lee Mata pled guilty to Accident Involving Death, a second-degree felony, and to Tampering with Physical Evidence with Intent to Impair an Investigation, a third-degree felony. Mata was further proved to be the driver of the white Ford that hit Lopez. Mata failed to render any aid that could have saved Joe Lopez’s life.

After pleading guilty to both plea deals, Mata was sentenced to 15 years for each charge. Mata's sentences are expected to run concurrently, meaning he will only remain incarcerated for 15 years.

Later in the afternoon, Johnson, who is now legally Nicole Lorelle Mata, pled guilty to Tampering with Physical Evidence with Intent to Impair an Investigation. She was sentenced to 10 years confinement, but will have her sentence probated to 4 years.  A condition of Mrs. Mata’s probation included having no communication with her co-defendant, Christopher Lee Mata. Yet, since the co-defendants were married after the hit-and-run, Judge Weatherby agreed to strike that condition from the plea agreement. He stated that he felt comfortable striking the condition as Mr. Mata would be “locked up” for quite some time. Nicole Lorelle Mata will also be expected to pay a $15,000 fine.

Lopez’s family, including his mother, Rose Lopez, were present in both hearings. Rose Lopez addressed the court during Mr. Mata’s plea saying, “I will not stand here and judge you, only God can do that, [but] I would hate to be you on your judgment day.”