Hit-and-run crash leaves South Valley restaurant in pieces
A hit-and-run crash leaves Carnitas El Calentano restaurant in South Valley in pieces.
By Stephanie Muñiz
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ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico (KOAT) — Carnitas El Calentano is a staple in the South Valley, now in pieces.
Surveillance video shows a white Ford Expedition turning on a bridge, speeding and losing control, then smashing into the restaurant.
Minutes later, the SUV reverses and leaves pieces of the restaurant still attached to the car.
“Aside from it being our work, it’s also our home,” Saul Copado, the owner of El Calentano.
The small family business is now nearly completely destroyed inside.
“The first thing I thought was someone just crashed into the wall,” Copado said.
He added, “But when I got here, I found all of this. My heart breaks.”
As he battles tears and hugs his daughters who help run the business, he said his employees are all like family.
Despite the destruction, something special remained intact: a statue of the Virgin Mary from his mother.
“Nothing happened to it. It’s made out of clay and plaster, and nothing happened to it. That really surprised me,” Copado said.
While they pick up the pieces, he has one message: “Young people and everyone else should have a conscience for what they do. Because it’s not just material things, they could also lose their life.”
Although the cleanup will take a few days and repairs possibly a few weeks, the restaurant will be open for takeout only while the damage is fixed.
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