Dec. 11—The girlfriend of a man recently accused of attempted murder now faces charges herself, with investigators alleging she conspired in the Sept. 22 attack that left a young Santa Fe woman bloodied and unconscious in a Hopewell Mann parking lot.

Police charged Jonathan Castaneda, 21, with attempted murder, stalking and property damage in late November, more than two months after 19-year-old Valicity Lozoya was found lying in the parking lot of Sangre de Cristo Apartments.

Lozoya was hospitalized and under an induced coma for at least a month after the attack. Her mother said the woman suffered a traumatic brain injury and is still recovering. The family is hoping for a full recovery.

Although police initially believed Lozoya had been beaten, investigators wrote in a statement of probable cause a review of surveillance footage provided by a neighbor showed she was actually struck by a pickup that sped from the scene.

Castaneda’s girlfriend, Esmerelda Jasso-Laguna, 20, has now been accused of assisting him. Police charged Jasso-Laguna with conspiracy of first-degree murder, accessory to attempted murder, two counts of aggravated stalking and two counts of felony property damage, according to a criminal complaint filed Friday in Santa Fe County Magistrate Court.

In an arrest warrant affidavit, a Santa Fe Police Department detective alleged a search of Castaneda’s cellphone after he was arrested turned up a text sent to Jasso-Laguna on the night of the attack that read: “It’s done.”

Castaneda confessed to running down Lozoya with his truck during a police interrogation, the affidavit states, and he maintained Jasso-Laguna had no involvement. Police wrote Castaneda said he had carried on a romantic relationship with Lozoya in late 2022 and early 2023 while he and Jasso-Laguna were “on a break.”

The detective noted investigators were skeptical Castaneda had acted alone in the attack on Lozoya that took place at least eight months after their last known interaction on Snapchat.

Castaneda told police the relationship with Lozoya had caused Jasso-Laguna stress and strained their relationship since he told her about it earlier this year, the affidavit states.

When questioned by police, Jasso-Laguna denied any involvement or knowledge of the attack, according to the affidavit.

The detective wrote Jasso-Laguna acknowledged she may have said, “I wish she was gone or I wish she was dead,” but added “I say that about a lot of people.”

But investigators alleged in the affidavit the two had discussed detailed plans for Castaneda to run down Lozoya with his truck in previous text message exchanges and Jasso-Laguna urged her boyfriend to kill the other woman, whom she referred to as “the problem.”

“Jasso-Laguna actively participates via texts,” the affidavit states, “telling Mr. Castaneda where to wait and that running her off the road in her vehicle won’t be enough.”

The couple texted back and forth about the plan “for hours” on the night of the incident, the detective wrote in the affidavit, with Castaneda stating in texts to Jasso-Laguna he had lost track of Lozoya after following her around town. She responded and urged Castaneda to find her, according to the affidavit.

“Later in the conversation, Ms. Jasso-Laguna and Mr. Castaneda start discussing how to explain any damage to his truck,” the affidavit states. “Ms. Jasso-Laguna told him to say he hit an animal saying, ‘It’s Elk and [deer emoji] season.’ They also discussed in text messages where Mr. Castaneda would go after he hit her, to establish an ‘alibi.’ “

In their text exchanges, the affidavit states, the couple also referred multiple times to a third person who apparently assisted them in the crimes. No charges have been filed against that man as of Monday afternoon.

The couple had similarly texted back and forth throughout a July night when Lozoya’s car tires were slashed and her windows were broken, and again in September, the affidavit states.

During a phone interview Monday, the victim’s mother, Lizzette Lozoya, said she had never heard of Jasso-Laguna.

“All I care about is my daughter’s recovery,” Lozoya said.