AURORA, Colo. — A 22-year-old man was found guilty Wednesday of several charges, including murder, in a 2021 shooting at a hotel in Aurora that left a teen dead and three injured.
Luis Martin Estrada faces life in prison at sentencing on March 23 after being convicted of killing Angel Isai Ruiz, 18, and shooting three other victims.
Aurora Police officers responded about 2 a.m. Oct. 2, 2021, to the Hyatt House Hotel on East Colfax Avenue for a reported shooting. Four victims found at the scene were taken to the hospital, including Ruiz, who later died from his injuries.
Investigators determined Estrada and another suspect, Ruben Mejia-Soto, went to a party on the sixth floor before being shoved out into the hallway during a disturbance.
While the hotel room was closed, Estrada fired multiple gunshots into the door, hitting the four victims. Officers found 10 fired shell casings and two live 9mm rounds in the hallway.
Surveillance cameras showed Estrada leaving the hallway where the shooting happened with a gun in his hands, seconds after the shooting.
One witness identified Estrada as the shooter. Other witnesses – who saw the shooting and were threatened by Estrada as he left the scene – described the clothing the shooter was wearing that matched his outfit.
Estrada was convicted on the following charges:
- First-degree murder with extreme indifference
- Four counts of attempted murder with extreme indifference
- First-degree assault with extreme indifference
- Three counts of felony menacing
- Possession of a weapon by a previous offender
“Instead of walking away, Mr. Estrada decided to fire multiple shots into a crowd of people who were just behind the hotel room door," said Chief Deputy District Attorney Gary Dawson in a news release. "When you consider the small size of the hotel room, how many people were inside and how many times this defendant fired into it, it’s a miracle that more of these young people were not killed."
Mejia-Soto pleaded guilty on May 27 to harassment and accessory to a crime. He was sentenced in June to a deferred sentence of two years for the first charge and 30 days in jail. On the second charge, he was sentenced to two years of probation and 77 hours of community service.
The deferred sentence means that if he complies with his probation, he won't serve any prison time. If he does not comply, he could be resentenced.
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