An Aurora man has been convicted of an armed carjacking spree involving seven incidents across four counties — all while wearing an ankle monitor because he was on parole.
An Arapahoe County jury found Tremaine Speer, 33, guilty of 17 counts, including aggravated robbery, conspiracy to commit aggravated robbery, and second-degree assault.
“Without question, our community is safer with this serial carjacker and career criminal behind bars. Clearly, he was paroled too early,” said District Attorney George Brauchler. “Within moments of being fitted with an ankle monitor, he is out on our streets repeatedly and wantonly threatening innocent Coloradans with injury or death. Speer is one of the fundamental reasons we have prisons.”
The crimes occurred in July 2016, throughout Littleton, Aurora, Denver, Commerce City and Westminster.
Speer used a handgun to confront drivers and steal their cars and possessions. In one case, he targeted an Aurora woman who had just pulled into her driveway with her young son in the car. In another, he struck a woman in the face with a handgun to force her out of her car at the Littleton museum.
The cars were eventually recovered and he was arrested by police who were able to identify him and track the GPS device he wore on his ankle.
Investigators determined Speer began his crime spree within weeks after he was released from prison on parole for prior felony convictions.
“The defendant victimized 7 strangers who were just going about their day in their own community, just after he was given an opportunity to be on parole. These violent robberies show how dangerous he is and that he should be back in prison for a substantial sentence,” said Senior Deputy District Attorney Tom Byrnes.
On May 30 the jury convicted Speer of seven counts of aggravated robbery, second-degree assault with a deadly weapon, conspiracy to commit aggravated robbery, four counts of aggravated motor vehicle theft and four counts of theft.
Sentencing is set for July 25.