A Valencia County man sentenced to probation for his part in a 2019 triple homicide may see the inside of a prison cell after being arrested for DWI in Albuquerque last week.

Brandon Dowdy
Arrested

Brandon Dowdy, 21, of Belen, was arrested for driving while intoxicated and speeding on Interstate 40 by an Albuquerque Police Department officer shortly before midnight on Friday, March 25.

In December, Dowdy, as well as two other defendants, took plea agreements in the triple-murder case against them, which resulted in a suspended sentence and probation.

Dowdy pleaded guilty to three counts of conspiracy to commit aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Each count carried a sentence of 18 months for a total of 4 1/2 years, which was suspended.

The agreement gave Dowdy credit for time served — two years and 10 months — which counted toward the 4 1/2 years of post-incarceration probation. A suspended sentence is a term of imprisonment convicted criminal defendants do not have to serve provided they abide by all terms of their probation.

Since he was arrested and charged with new crimes, the 13th Judicial District Attorney’s Office has filed a motion to revoke Dowdy’s probation, which was set to end in October 2023.

According to the conditions of his probation, Dowdy was not to violate any laws or ordinances, was not to leave the county without permission from his probation officer, was required to report any arrest, charge or questioning by law enforcement within 48 hours and not posses, use or consume alcohol.

The DA’s motion asks the court to revoke Dowdy’s probation and remand him to the New Mexico Department of Corrections for the remainder of his sentence.

Dowdy was released on his own recognizance from the Metropolitan Detention Center in Albuquerque on March 28. A virtual pretrial conference is scheduled for May 3 in Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court in regards to the new charges.

A request for a hearing on the probation violation before 13th Judicial District Court Judge Cindy Mercer has been made by Dowdy’s attorney, Mark Earnest.

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Julia M. Dendinger began working at the VCNB in 2006. She covers Valencia County government, Belen Consolidated Schools and the village of Bosque Farms. She is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists Rio Grande chapter’s board of directors.