plea deal – The District Attorney — 18th Judicial District

Aurora woman sentenced to 42 years in prison for starting deadly apartment complex fire

On June 16, 2023, Alondra Michel, 39, was sentenced to 42 years in the Department of Corrections for starting a deadly fire in January of last year.

Around 1:30 a.m. on January 24, 2022, Aurora Fire Rescue responded to a structure fire at an apartment complex on E. Evans Avenue. Firefighters quickly determined the blaze was intentionally set. The investigation revealed Michel lit a blanket on fire inside a ground-level apartment following a disagreement with her boyfriend over text messages with other women on his phone.

During the evacuation of tenants, firefighters found Abner Salmeron-Bautista, 5, on a bed in a second-floor apartment. He was rushed to the hospital where he later died from his injuries.

Alondra pleaded guilty to 2^nd Degree Murder and three counts of 1^st Degree Arson.

“This defendant’s actions showed a complete disregard for the safety of all tenants living in that complex,” Chief Deputy District Attorney Ann Tomsic said. “We hope this lengthy prison sentence can bring some closure to Abner’s family and the other tenants who were temporarily displaced at no fault of their own.”

After her prison sentence, Michel will be placed on parole for 5 years.

“This defendant made a terrible and reckless decision to start a fire in a complex in the middle of the night when most tenants were likely asleep,” District Attorney John Kellner said. “I praise the firefighters who arrived on-scene and immediately worked to evacuate three floors in the complex. While it’s a miracle more people weren’t seriously injured or killed, my heart goes out to Abner’s family.”

Aurora man sentenced to 60 years for killing girlfriend in apartment

Arapahoe County Judge Elizabeth Ann Weishaupl sentenced Dakota Chinnock, 21, to 60 years in the Department of Corrections for killing his 20-year-old girlfriend last year.

On the morning of September 5, 2021, Chinnock called police to report that he found his girlfriend unconscious and not breathing in their Aurora apartment.

When officers arrived, they discovered the victim, Amanda Farley, 20, lying face up on a bedroom floor with severe swelling to her face. One officer described her face as being “unrecognizable”. The investigation also revealed multiple human bite marks on Farley’s body.

When questioned by police, Chinnock suggested her death may have resulted from a home invasion. He claimed he had been drinking earlier in the night and when he woke up, the apartment was in disarray and Farley was in a pool of blood.

Investigators noted there was no smell of alcohol on Chinnock and there appeared to be no forced entry into the apartment unit. Hours prior to Chinnock calling police, witnesses living in the complex reported hearing yelling and a female crying from the apartment.

Surveillance video obtained by police also provided key evidence showing Chinnock and Farley arguing outside their apartment. Chinnock is seen grabbing an object resembling a propane tank and hitting Farley in the head with it. Surveillance footage then shows both going into the apartment and out of the camera’s view.

“The defendant brutally attacked this woman he supposedly loved for hours,” Deputy District Attorney Lisa Gramer said. “He ended the life of his high school sweetheart, whose only real mistake was that she loved him back.”

Chinnock pleaded guilty to 2nd Degree Murder and Kidnapping.

“I cannot address the pain, the suffering, the grief, and the loss that happened through Mr. Chinnock’s actions,” Judge Weishaupl said during sentencing. “There is no sentence I could give that would allow me to heal what Mr. Chinnock has done.”

Chinnock was sentenced to 48 years behind bars for 2^nd Degree Murder and 12 years on the Kidnapping charge.

“Mr. Chinnock received the maximum prison sentence allowed for 2^nd Degree Murder and quite frankly, he deserves to never walk the streets again,” District Attorney John Kellner said. “He came up with a phony story of a home invasion which was easily debunked by the physical evidence.”