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Aurora Police Department

22 years for random, violent attack in Aurora

A 19-year-old Aurora man who shot and pistol-whipped a stranger, then robbed him, was sentenced to 22 years in prison.

Colton Robichaud

On Nov. 14, 2019, at about 3:45 p.m., Colton Robichaud was driving a stolen car with a passenger when he encountered an 18-year-old man walking with a friend on Pheasant Run Parkway near South Laredo Street in Aurora. Robichaud pulled out a gun and got out of the car. The victim and his friend started running. Robichaud shot the victim, who fell to the ground. Robichaud walked to the victim and beat him with the pistol. He took the victim’s cell phone and backpack, then got back in the stolen car with the passenger and drove off.

The friend came back to help the victim, and onlookers also came to his assistance. He sustained severe injuries after being shot in the abdomen but survived.

Witnesses described the stolen car Robichaud was driving, and police quickly located the car with Robichaud and his passenger still in it. Police linked Robichaud and the car to reports of previous crimes.

Robichaud was also charged with shooting six times at a man on Nov. 12, 2019. Robichaud was testing door handles of parked vehicles. The man was in a parked car nearby and honked his horn at Robichaud. The shots did not hit the man.

“There is a time for efforts at rehabilitation, but once you pick up a gun and shoot someone, there must be consequences,” said District Attorney John Kellner. “This victim sustained major, severe injuries. The choices this defendant made have led to this appropriate outcome, which is a prison sentence.”

Robichaud pleaded guilty Oct. 8, 2021, to one count of attempted first-degree murder, a Class 2 felony; and to one count of first-degree assault causing serious bodily injury, a Class 3 felony. Other counts were dismissed as part of the plea agreement.

The case was prosecuted by Chief Deputy District Attorney Andrew Steers and Deputy District Attorney Ryan Chun.

“The defendant terrorized people throughout October and November, impacting many more people than our two named victims,” Chun said in asking for the maximum sentence of 25 years allowed under the plea agreement. “He shot at people he didn’t know and committed horrendous, senseless violence.”

“The actions you took were wicked – I can’t come up with a better word,” Arapahoe County District Court Judge Darren Vahle told Robichaud as he imposed the sentence. “You have to serve a significant penalty.”

Jaden Saenz

Robichaud’s passenger in the car, Jaden Lee Saenz, 20, pleaded guilty July 2, 2020, to one count of robbery, a Class 4 felony; and one count of third-degree assault, a Class 1 misdemeanor. He was sentenced to 10 months in jail, 100 hours of community service and four years of probation.

Man who killed teen at Aurora mall sentenced to 35 years in prison

The gunman who shot and killed a teenager at the Aurora mall in 2019 was sentenced to 35 years in prison.

Kamyl Xavier Garrette

Arapahoe District Court Judge Shay Whitaker sentenced Kamyl Garrette, 20, of Denver, to the maximum sentence allowed under the plea agreement for killing Nathan Poindexter, Jr.,who was 17 years old.

On Dec. 27, 2019, Poindexter was at the mall with his family and encountered Garrette and a co-defendant, Senoj Jones. Family later told Aurora police that Poindexter, Garrette and Jones had an ongoing dispute. At the mall, the three got in a fight. Garrette pulled out a gun and shot Poindexter in front of his stepfather and younger brother. Poindexter was not armed.

Garrette and Jones fled the scene. Poindexter was taken to a hospital but did not survive.

Witnesses and evidence quickly identified Garrette and Jones, and they turned themselves in.

“Mr. Garrette made the final choice to pull the weapon and to fire the weapon with deadly accuracy,” Judge Whitaker said during the sentencing hearing on Dec. 17. “At some point, pulling a gun and pulling the trigger has got to stop being the answer.”

Poindexter’s family was in court for the hearing, and several gave impact statements.

“Nate was the victim – the one lying dead today. He can’t talk for himself,” his mother told the court. “I am speaking for Nathan – we can never bring him back. My baby is gone and I am hurting.”
His grandmother also addressed the court.

“I just don’t get it … why do some people just feel like they have to pick up a gun and BAM?” she said. “I do know our baby is not coming back. I wake up every day and I still can’t believe it.”

Senior Deputy District Attorney Casey Brown prosecuted the case with Chief Deputy District Attorney Jason Siers. Brown asked the court to impose 35 years, the maximum allowed under the plea agreement.

“Fights happen, but what occurred outside of JC Penney was not the natural progression of a fist fight,” he said. “This escalation of violence was entirely unnecessary, and it only perpetuates more violence. … There should be stiff consequences for pulling a trigger during what could have been a fist fight.”

Garrette pleaded guilty Oct. 7, 2021, to one count of second-degree murder with a violent crime sentence enhancer. Other counts against him were dismissed as part of the plea agreement.

Senoj Damon Jones

Co-defendant Senoj Jones, 20, of Denver, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder on May 8, 2021. He was given a suspended 25-year Department of Corrections sentence pending successful completion of seven years in the Youthful Offender System.

Aurora man who killed neighbor over fireworks found guilty

An Arapahoe County District Court jury has returned guilty verdicts against the Aurora man who shot and killed his neighbor after an argument over Independence Day fireworks in 2019.

Scott Alan Mathews Jr., 29, was found guilty of second-degree murder in the death of Jaharie Wheeler, who was 38 years old when he was killed.

“Bringing a gun to an argument can lead to tragic consequences, and that is the case here,” said District Attorney John Kellner. “The defendant made a horrible decision, and he will pay the consequences. The family of Mr. Wheeler will live with the result of that horrible decision for the rest of their lives.”

On July 4, 2019, Mathews and his girlfriend came home from work and walked outside with their dogs, in the courtyard of their apartment complex. Mathews was an off-duty Department of Corrections Officer. They confronted neighbors about setting off fireworks, including two children. The argument continued between Mathews and his girlfriend and Wheeler’s family. Mathews unholstered his personal handgun, pointed it at Wheeler’s fiancé and headbutted her during the argument. Wheeler came into the courtyard to defend his fiancé. As Mathews and Wheeler started to fight, Mathews pulled out his handgun and shot Wheeler in the chest. Wheeler was unarmed. He was pronounced deceased at Aurora Medical Center that night.

“This tragic murder was completely devastating to Jaharie Wheeler’s family, who never should have lost him that night. After what started as an argument over fireworks, he was killed in front of his fiancé and children for standing up to defend them,”, said Assistant District Attorney Tom Byrnes, who prosecuted the trial with Deputy District Attorney Justin Friedberg.

The jury convicted Mathews of all counts:
• One count of Murder 2, a Class 2 felony
• One count of felony menacing with a deadly weapon, a Class 5 felony
• One count of Assault 3, a Class 1 misdemeanor

Sentencing is set for April 27, 2022. The presumptive sentencing range for a Class 2 felony is 16-48 years in prison.

Report of June 28, 2021, incident in Aurora

Review of the use of less-than-lethal force to Shawn Meredith by Aurora Police Officer Steven Gerdjikian and Sgt. Brandon Samuels at a hotel at 14090 E. Evans Ave.
OIS Letter Link

Report of July 12, 2021, shooting in Aurora

Review of the shooting of Jeremiah Dean by Aurora Police Officer Bryce Settles at a parking lot at 15296 East Hampden Avenue
OIS Letter Link

Gang member sentenced to prison for shooting Aurora man

A gang member who shot an Aurora man who was out walking his dogs was sentenced to 23 years in prison.

Mikal Newton

Mikal Newton, 20, of Denver, was sentenced Nov. 5 in Arapahoe County District Court for shooting the 44-year-old man at the Sable Landing Condominiums in Aurora. Newton pleaded guilty to one count of first-degree assault with serious bodily injury, a Class 3 felony. Other counts were dismissed as part of the plea agreement.

“Senseless, violent crimes like this terrorize neighborhoods and communities; they are one of the reasons I felt it was important to have an Organized Crime Unit in my office,” said District Attorney John Kellner. “To the victims, these are random acts of violence. My unit sees the bigger picture and the inter-connectedness that exists. We want to identify the bad actors who commit a disproportionate number of violent crimes and get them off the streets.”

Early in 2019, a gang member killed a member of rival gang in Denver. Gang affiliates of the dead man vowed revenge.

On Oct. 22, 2019, the victim took his two dogs out for a walk. A car pulled up and one of the occupants yelled something referencing one of the gangs. The victim ignored the remark and continued walking. When the man was unlocking the door to go back inside, someone asked for his phone number. The man turned and saw one of the occupants of the car, pointing a gun at him. The man was shot several times but survived.

Aurora detectives worked to identify the car the men were in, and they gathered information from the spent shell casings. That led them to Newton. He still had the gun that matched the casings at the Aurora scene. The gun was traced to two additional crimes in Denver.

“The victim in this case was simply a man in his own community out walking his dogs. The defendant in this case mistook him for a rival gang member and then very coldly, with no provocation or hesitation, shot and nearly killed him,” said Deputy District Attorney Tony Tarantino, the prosecutor from the Organized Crime Unit who handled the case. “Those who commit violent crimes in this jurisdiction — be it for profit, retaliation, or any other reason – need to know that they will be pursued, they will be caught, and they will be incarcerated.”

30-year sentence for murder of 16-year-old in Aurora

The teen shooter who left his 16-year-old victim dead in an Aurora parking lot was sentenced to 30 years in prison for his actions.

Edgar Hernandez-Flores

Arapahoe District Court Judge Elizabeth Weishaupl sentenced Edgar Hernandez-Flores, 18, on Sept. 16 for the death of Jeremy Jamaal Rudolph. Rudolph was killed March 18, 2019, near the intersection of East Sixth Avenue and Sable Boulevard.

Hernandez-Flores and Rudolph were both students at Colorado Early College; they belonged to different friend groups. Investigators learned the groups had an ongoing dispute that had started with one student pushing another.

On the date in question Rudolph was with several of his friends; they encountered Hernandez-Flores near Tollgate Creek. Hernandez-Flores fired 14 rounds at the group. One hit Rudolph in the head and killed him.

Hernandez-Flores pleaded guilty May 24 to one count of second-degree murder. Other counts were dismissed as part of the plea agreement.

“All the parties in this case are youthful; the tragedy is that Jeremy will never grow up because of the senseless actions of the defendant,” said Senior Chief Deputy District Attorney Vicki Klingensmith, who prosecuted the case. “A schoolyard spat escalated into a murder, and Mr. Rudolph’s family is left grieving because Jeremy will never come home from school again.”

“For whatever reason, this defendant thought it was a good idea to have a loaded gun with him that day,” said District Attorney John Kellner. “Because he chose to fire it into a group of teenagers, one of those young men is dead. Taking a gun to a fight is never a good idea. This defendant is serving a lengthy time in prison because of his choices and his actions.”

Aurora murderer sentenced to life in prison

An Aurora man who shot another man in the back of the head was sentenced to life in prison without possibility of parole.

Cameron Scott Costello

Arapahoe County District Court Judge Elizabeth Weishaupl on Thursday imposed the statutory sentence on Cameron Scott Costello, 26, for the murder of Brandon Brabson, who was 33 years old.

Brabson was shot and killed June 23, 2020, at the Sable Cove Apartment complex in Aurora. On July 28, a jury found Costello guilty of first-degree murder in Brabson’s death.

“This man with a gun took matters into his own hands and executed a father of three,” said District Attorney John Kellner. “This sentence is appropriate for a murder in cold blood.

“No sentence will bring Mr. Brabson back to his family, but perhaps they can find some healing in putting this phase behind them.”

Brabson was at the apartment complex that night trying to speak with his former girlfriend, who had a restraining order against him.

The former girlfriend was disturbed that Brabson was trying to contact her and asked for assistance from friends and neighbors in urging him to leave.

Costello was at the apartment complex to deliver something to his ex-wife, who lived there. He was seen on surveillance video with Brabson moments before he was shot.

When Brabson’s ex-girlfriend heard the gunshot, she and some people who were with her rushed to see what had happened and found Brabson’s body alone and bleeding. They believed he had killed himself, but no gun was found; Brabson had no weapon.

After Aurora police identified Costello, he was arrested. He had with him the gun that had killed Brabson.

Brabson’s mother and sister spoke to the court during sentencing on Sept. 9.

Brabson’s sister spoke of the loss felt by his three daughters, and of the hole in their lives without a father.

“My brother, Brandon, was not a threat to (the defendant). Brandon certainly didn’t deserve that bullet that (the defendant) shot from behind him, straight into his brain stem … my brother, Brandon, went down like a soldier when (the defendant) shot him in such a cowardly way.”

Brabson’s mother told the judge Costello “ripped my heart out forever.” She spoke of unanswered questions and how her son’s murder “haunts me every hour of every day and every hour of every night since Brandon’s execution.”

Senior Deputy District Attorney Jake Adkins prosecuted the case with Deputy District Attorney Justin Friedberg. Adkins acknowledged there seemed to be very little motive for the murder.

“We have never been able to answer why.” Adkins said during his brief sentencing argument. “Mr. Brabson was executed in the street for very little benefit. … It was a callous and senseless act that shows utter disregard for the value of human life.”

Aurora man convicted of murder in shooting death of ex-girlfriend’s new boyfriend

A man who shot and killed the new boyfriend of his former girlfriend was found guilty of first-degree murder in the boyfriend’s death.

Joseph McCaughin

An Arapahoe County jury on Wednesday deliberated about three hours before returning the verdict against Joseph McCaughin, 20, of Aurora, who killed Ryan Robertson.

“It’s tragic to see yet another young man’s life cut short by the petty jealousy of a man with a gun,” said District Attorney John Kellner. “Not only did this defendant kill another person, but he put little kids in harm’s way as he was shooting. Clearly he is a danger to this community.”

On May 6, 2019, McCaughin killed Robertson, who was 16 years old when he died.

Earlier that day, McCaughin had broken into the home of his former girlfriend, who had begun dating Robertson. He told her, “If I ever see (Robertson) again, I will kill you and him.”

That evening, McCaughin and Robertson encountered each other near Wagon Trail Park in Aurora. Robertson had two friends with him. McCaughin and Robertson exchanged words, and then McCaughin shot six to seven times at Robertson before running away. Robertson was shot twice and died from his injuries. When McCaughin started firing, surveillance video and witnesses confirmed he was firing towards Independence Elementary School, where numerous adults and children were outside and in the line of fire, though fortunately no one else was injured.

Aurora Police found McCaughin in Georgia eight days later.

“McCaughin made his intent and his plan crystal clear,” Deputy District Attorney Grant Grosgebauer told the jury. “He went looking for his victim and he was carrying a gun.”

Grosgebauer tried the case with Chief Deputy District Attorney Gary Dawson.

“This defendant told police — and his mother — that he wasn’t the shooter, and that he was at the Southlands mall at the time of the shooting. Witnesses and his cellphone placed him at the scene. At trial, out of desperation he claimed that this murder was in self-defense, but the evidence proved otherwise,” Dawson said.

Sentencing is set for Nov. 9. The statutory penalty for first-degree murder is life in prison without possibility of parole.

Child sex offender sentenced to 126 years to life in prison

A previously convicted sex offender will spend the rest of his life in prison after sexually assaulting two young girls in Aurora.

Gustavo Andazola-Burciaga

On Aug. 12, Arapahoe County District Court Judge Eric White sentenced Gustavo Andazola-Burciaga, 54, to an indeterminate sentence of 126 years to life in the Colorado Department of Corrections.

A jury in May convicted Andazola-Burciaga of five counts of “sexual assault on a child by one in a position of trust as part of a pattern of abuse,” and one count of “attempted sexual assault on a child by one in a position of trust” after a five-day trial.

“Our children are our most prized assets and also some of the most vulnerable people in our communities. By nature they are trusting and generous,” said District Attorney John Kellner. “Those who choose to target these precious little ones are among the worst offenders we see, and I am glad the court has chosen to sentence this defendant as such.”

In October 2017, the defendant was sentenced to prison in an Adams County human trafficking case involving a 14-year-old girl that generated media interest and prompted two other victims to come forward. These victims were ages six and seven when, in 2010, Andazola-Burciaga repeatedly molested them at his home in Aurora. At trial, yet another victim testified to being sexually assaulted by the defendant when she was nine in Denver in 2006.

“This defendant is one of the worst perpetrators our community has seen,” said Deputy District Attorney Michael Mauro, who tried the case with Senior Deputy District Attorney Danielle Jaramillo. “His decision to act on sick and selfish desires robbed his victims of their innocence and did lasting damage to their self-esteem and sense of security. After more than a decade of justice deferred, the court’s sentence does what nothing previously has done: It protects children everywhere from ever being victimized by this defendant again.”

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