The District Attorney — 18th Judicial District
  • Our Office
    • About Us
      • Meet the District Attorney
      • Mission Statement
      • Law Enforcement Partners
      • Unified Metropolitan Forensic Crime Lab
      • Forms and Brochures
      • Organization Chart
    • Contact Us
    • Employment
    • General Courts
      • District Court
      • Juvenile Court
      • County Court
    • Specialized Units
      • Conviction Integrity Unit
      • Cold Case
      • Appeals
      • Vehicular Homicide Unit
      • Diversion Counseling Program
      • Special Victims Unit (SVU)
      • Domestic Violence Unit
      • Human Trafficking Unit
      • Elder and at Risk Unit
      • Economic Crime Unit
      • Problem Solving Courts
    • Support Units
      • Finance Unit
      • Communications
      • Human Resources
      • Technology
      • Investigations
      • Victim Witness Unit
      • Central Services
      • Victim Compensation
  • Newsletter
    • Newsletter Archive
  • Victim Services
    • Victim Witness Unit
      • Victim Impact Statement and Restitution Information
    • Victim Rights
    • Victim Compensation
    • Domestic Violence
      • Domestic Violence Fast Track
    • Sexual Assault
    • Sex Offender Locator
  • Community Outreach
    • Newsletter
    • Consumer Fraud Protection
      • Community Presentations
      • Wage Theft
      • Fraud Alerts
      • Bad Check Restitution Program — DISCONTINUED
    • Outreach
    • Events
      • Senior Law & Safety Summit: May 21, 2022
      • Second Chances Warrant Clearance
      • Community Conversations
      • Citizen’s Academy
    • Volunteer
  • Reports
    • Data Dashboards
    • Financial Reports
    • Media
    • News Releases
    • Records Request
    • Officer-Involved Shootings
    • Peace Officer Credibility Disclosure Notification
  • Prosecution
    • Criminal Justice Glossary
    • Courtroom Diagram
    • Records Request
    • Docket Search
Report of July 18, 2022 officer-involved shooting in...
Charges filed against ex-Aurora police officer involved in...
Jury convicts Colorado Springs man in deadly DUI...
Sex offender who posed as Immigration Official and...
Report of October 25, 2022 officer-involved shooting in...
Report of December 1, 2022 officer-involved shooting in...
Ex-Aurora officer found guilty of failing to stop...
Report of November 30, 2022 officer-involved shooting
Bond increased to $750,000 for defendant charged in...
Two teens sentenced in 2021 shooting outside Hinkley...

The District Attorney — 18th Judicial District

  • Our Office
    • About Us
      • Meet the District Attorney
      • Mission Statement
      • Law Enforcement Partners
      • Unified Metropolitan Forensic Crime Lab
      • Forms and Brochures
      • Organization Chart
    • Contact Us
    • Employment
    • General Courts
      • District Court
      • Juvenile Court
      • County Court
    • Specialized Units
      • Conviction Integrity Unit
      • Cold Case
      • Appeals
      • Vehicular Homicide Unit
      • Diversion Counseling Program
      • Special Victims Unit (SVU)
      • Domestic Violence Unit
      • Human Trafficking Unit
      • Elder and at Risk Unit
      • Economic Crime Unit
      • Problem Solving Courts
    • Support Units
      • Finance Unit
      • Communications
      • Human Resources
      • Technology
      • Investigations
      • Victim Witness Unit
      • Central Services
      • Victim Compensation
  • Newsletter
    • Newsletter Archive
  • Victim Services
    • Victim Witness Unit
      • Victim Impact Statement and Restitution Information
    • Victim Rights
    • Victim Compensation
    • Domestic Violence
      • Domestic Violence Fast Track
    • Sexual Assault
    • Sex Offender Locator
  • Community Outreach
    • Newsletter
    • Consumer Fraud Protection
      • Community Presentations
      • Wage Theft
      • Fraud Alerts
      • Bad Check Restitution Program — DISCONTINUED
    • Outreach
    • Events
      • Senior Law & Safety Summit: May 21, 2022
      • Second Chances Warrant Clearance
      • Community Conversations
      • Citizen’s Academy
    • Volunteer
  • Reports
    • Data Dashboards
    • Financial Reports
    • Media
    • News Releases
    • Records Request
    • Officer-Involved Shootings
    • Peace Officer Credibility Disclosure Notification
  • Prosecution
    • Criminal Justice Glossary
    • Courtroom Diagram
    • Records Request
    • Docket Search

Life in prison for murder at Aurora sports bar

November 20, 2018

A man who shot and killed another man at an Aurora sports bar was found guilty last week and sentenced to life in prison.

Miguel Angel Licona-Ortega

Miguel Angel Licona-Ortega


Miguel Angel Licona-Ortega, 24, was found guilty of Murder 1 after deliberation in the 2017 shooting death of Javier Chacon-Ortega in 2017.

After a 4-day trial, the jury deliberated about an hour before returning its guilty verdict Nov. 14. Arapahoe District Judge Andrew Baum immediately sentenced Licona-Ortega to the mandatory penalty of life in prison without the possibility of parole.

“A cowardly, cold-blooded murderer such as this deserves no freedom ever again. As taxpayers, we have decided to fund prisons to protect us from such murderers,” said District Attorney George Brauchler. “This is a taxpayer bill for a lifetime of incarceration of a murderer who is in our country illegally. Our criminal justice system does a poor job of tracking how much crime is—or is not—attributable to those who are here illegally. This murder is in part another product of our failed immigration system. Coloradans deserve better.”

Brauchler added: “While the vast majority of those here illegally would never commit such wanton acts, we must secure our border from violent criminals.”

On July 29, 2017, Aurora police responded to the Tierra Maya Bar on Havana Street on reports of a shooting.

Arriving officers found Chacon-Ortega lying outside the door of the bar covered in blood. He was pronounced dead at University Hospital.

The gunman had fled the bar.

The ensuing investigation determined that the victim had challenged Licona-Ortega to a fist fight following threats made to the victim’s brother. As they exited the bar, Licona-Ortega rushed up behind Chacon-Ortega and shot him in the back of the head. Licona-Ortega proceeded to empty his .38 revolver into Chacon-Ortega’s head as he lay on the ground.

Licona-Ortega then ran to the ride he had arranged in advance of the shooting.

Investigating officers learned that Licona-Ortega was a local heroin dealer and apprehended him at his residence the next morning.

The case was prosecuted by Chief Deputy District Attorney Rebecca Gleason.

“This was the coldest, most calculated murderer I have ever prosecuted,” she said.

Life in prison for murder at Aurora sports bar was last modified: November 20th, 2018 by Eric Ross

Recent Posts

  • Report of July 18, 2022 officer-involved shooting in Aurora
  • Charges filed against ex-Aurora police officer involved in on-duty fatal crash
  • Jury convicts Colorado Springs man in deadly DUI crash on I-25 frontage road
  • Sex offender who posed as Immigration Official and assaulted young girls sentenced to four decades in prison
  • Report of October 25, 2022 officer-involved shooting in Lone Tree
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
Footer Logo
  • Our Office
  • Victim Services
  • Community Outreach
  • Media
  • Employment
  • Contact Us
  • Prosecution
  • Disclaimer Policy

© 2022 - DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S OFFICE 18 JUDICIAL DISTRICT