LAKEWOOD, Colo. — A man was sentenced to prison Tuesday in connection with a shooting that killed a man at a Lakewood car wash in 2022.
Robert Solano, 36, was convicted in November of second-degree murder, motor vehicle theft and other charges in connection with the July 31, 2022, killing of 27-year-old Ramon Castro Contreras at a car wash near Sheridan Boulevard and West Colfax Avenue.
Solano was sentenced Tuesday to 46 years in prison.
Solano was one of four suspects arrested in connection with the shooting.
Keandre Mims, 30, has pleaded not guilty. His case is set for trial in January, according to court records.
Johntae Guyton, 19, pleaded guilty in January to second-degree murder and other charges. He was sentenced in March to 46 years in prison, according to court records.
The case against the fourth suspect, who was 15 years old at the time, remained in juvenile court. His name was not released due to his age.
Surveillance video showed three masked assailants and a vehicle pull up to Castro Contreras' vehicle as he was parked in a car wash bay, according to Lakewood Police. Within seconds, the assailants shot the victim as he tried to drive away.
Solano was arrested the next day in a stolen vehicle associated with the shooting. He told police he did not know the other suspects but said they asked him to pull his vehicle behind the vehicle parked in the car wash stall, which he did. After moving to that location, Solano said, the others approached the vehicle in the bay on foot and fired several shots.
Solano is also facing a murder charge in connection with the death of 17-year-old Jasmine Rivas-Hernandez, who was found in an alley off North Quebec Street in Denver in March 2022. He was already in custody for the Lakewood case when he was charged in January 2023. Solano has pleaded not guilty in that case, and his next court appearance is set for April 14.
