A judge sentenced a woman Friday to 39 years in prison for setting a house fire that killed two women in Santa Clara.
According to the Sixth Judicial District Attorney’s Office, a judge sentenced 36-year-old Cassandra Brazeal for the deaths of Mary Lou Maynes, 78, and Sara Maes, 60.
Brazeal pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree murder and one count of aggravated arson.
District Judge Jim Foy ordered the sentences on all three counts to run consecutively, for a total of 39 years. The court classified each offense as a serious violent crime, requiring Brazeal to serve at least 85% of her sentence under New Mexico law before becoming eligible for release.
Brazeal will receive credit for the two years, six months and 16 days she has already served in the Grant County Detention Center.
Fire claimed two lives
The fire occurred on Nov. 28, 2023, when the Grant County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call reporting a house fire at 600 W. Lincoln St. in Santa Clara.
Firefighters from Santa Clara, Hurley, Fort Bayard, and Whiskey Creek responded to the scene, but flames already fully engulfed the home, preventing rescue efforts.
After firefighters extinguished the fire, they found the bodies of Maynes, who relied on supplemental oxygen, and Maes inside the residence.
The New Mexico State Police Criminal Investigations Division processed the scene, while the New Mexico Office of the State Fire Marshal conducted the fire investigation.
Arrest followed investigation
Santa Clara police arrested Brazeal on Dec. 5, 2023, on an outstanding warrant after investigators linked her to the fire.
She was taken to the Grant County Sheriff’s Office for questioning before being booked into the Grant County Detention Center.
While in custody, a detention officer reportedly overheard Brazeal during a telephone conversation with an unidentified person saying, “I didn’t mean to kill them,” and, “They must have spread the fire after I lit it,” according to prosecutors. The statements became part of the evidence in the case.