Salem, OR. — A Salem man has been sentenced to more than nine years in prison after pleading guilty to recklessly causing the death of a woman who was thrown from his vehicle in 2024.
Marion County Circuit Court Judge Sean Armstrong sentenced Atilano III Davalos III, 40, on March 3, 2026, to 110 months (9 years and 2 months) in the Oregon Department of Corrections. Davalos pleaded guilty to one count of Manslaughter in the Second Degree in the death of Carla Vasquez.
According to prosecutors, the incident occurred in the early morning hours of May 23, 2024, after Davalos and Vasquez—who were in an on-again, off-again relationship—left a bar together following Vasquez’s work shift.
Investigators recovered video from Davalos’ phone showing Vasquez, who was intoxicated, leaning out of the vehicle’s passenger window while Davalos could be heard telling her to get back inside the car.
Vehicle data later showed that Davalos turned from a busy road into a residential neighborhood, accelerated slightly, and then braked sharply, causing Vasquez to be thrown from the vehicle into the roadway.
Dash camera footage showed Davalos briefly stopping, exiting the vehicle, and then quickly returning to drive away. Authorities said he did not call 911, attempt to help Vasquez, or seek medical assistance, despite Salem Hospital being about six minutes away.
A resident later discovered Vasquez’s body in the street in the 1000 block of Rural Avenue Southwest in Salem.
After the incident, Davalos stayed at a relative’s home for several days. Salem Police and SWAT officers later arrested him after he hid in his mother’s attic for approximately six hours, refusing repeated commands to come out.
Davalos was originally charged with Manslaughter in the First Degree, which carries a minimum 120-month prison sentence. Prosecutors said they consulted with the victim’s family before agreeing to reduce the charge to second-degree manslaughter as part of a plea agreement.
Davalos requested a 91-month sentence, but after hearing arguments from prosecutors, Judge Armstrong imposed the state’s requested enhanced 110-month sentence, which will be served without early release or eligibility for certain prison programs. The sentence is only ten months shorter than the mandatory minimum that would have applied under the original first-degree manslaughter charge.
The Marion County District Attorney’s Office thanked the Salem Police Department for its investigation. The case was prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Katharine Semple.
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