BOULDER COUNTY, Colo. — A woman was sentenced Friday after pleading guilty to two felony charges in connection with a 2022 carjacking attempt that left a 21-year-old woman dead.
Adriana Vargas, 25, was sentenced Friday to 15 years in prison. She pleaded guilty in December to one count of attempted aggravated robbery and one count of possession of a weapon by a previous offender, according to court documents.
Taylor Smith-Maxwell, 21, was killed in the shooting around 12:30 a.m. Oct. 30, 2022 in the area of Highway 287 and Yellowstone Road.
From November 2022: Friends, family mourn 21-year-old Boulder County murder victim
The Boulder County Sheriff's Office said around 12:15 a.m. that night, a Larimer County deputy had tried to pull over a driver on suspicion of DUI in unincorporated Larimer County. The driver refused to stop and the deputy stopped chasing them.
Smith-Maxwell and her mom came across the driver near Highway 287 and Yellowstone Road. The two were stopped briefly, about to make a turn, when the suspects got out of the car, deputies said. One of them shot at their truck with a handgun, hitting Smith-Maxwell, who was in the passenger seat, deputies said.
Deputies said they believe the suspects fired into the truck in an attempt to carjack the victims.
Vargas' codefendant, Martin Cerda, is facing first-degree murder and other charges in connection with the case, according to court documents. He has pleaded not guilty, and a trial is scheduled for April.
From October 2022: Woman shot, killed by attempted carjackers in Boulder County, police said
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