COLORADO, USA — A member of the MS-13 gang was sentenced to life in prison without parole for participating in several murders and attempted murders in 2019, the Office of the 18th Judicial District Attorney (DAO) said in a press release Thursday.
Mauricio Alvarado-Vasquez, 31, was sentenced in July after a four-week trial, the office said.
According to the release, the following are crimes in which Alvarado-Vasquez was connected:
Murder of Vicky DeDios | September 2019
The dispatch center in Aurora responded to a 911 call about a car fire on Sept. 8 and found DeDios' body after extinguishing the flames—she was stabbed over 20 times, the office said.
Investigators learned through interviews with other members that Alvarado-Vasquez and co-defendant David Tobias-Carvajal parked her car on the shoulder of Interstate 225 and set it on fire after stabbing her, the release said.
"[Alvarado-Vasquez] bragged about stabbing the victim first and then asked her how it feels to die," said Chief Deputy District Attorney Laura Wilson.
Murder of Carlos Ramirez-Rivera | November 2019
In the early morning of Nov. 2, Glendale police found Ramirez-Rivera dead in the driver seat of a car after being dispatched to a traffic crash at the intersection of E. Kentucky and S. Birch Street, the office said.
The release states that "surveillance camera footage revealed Ramirez-Rivera was stopped at a stop sign when another car pulled up and fired multiple shots, striking him in his arms and chest."
Attempted murder of Alexander Portillo | Sept. - Oct. 2019:
Detectives found that Alvarado-Vasquez and two other co-defendants conspired via Facebook and another messaging app to kill Portillo — these conspiracies happened between September and October 2019, said the DA.
The DA's office added that members of MS-13 were trying to learn Portillo's work schedule, employer and car model in order to "ambush and kill him."
Apartment complex shooting | November 2019:
Aurora police responded to a shooting at an apartment complex on South Ironton Street at around 2:30 a.m. on Nov. 11— the six people who were shot survived, said the DA.
According to the release, Alvarado-Vasquez is one of more than 12 defendants charged with crimes related to the MS-13 gang between 2019 and 2020, and two trials are still pending as of August 2023.
“This is one of the most violent and brutal gangs I have come across in my career as a prosecutor,” said District Attorney John Kellner. “I cannot stress enough how grateful I am to the state and federal law enforcement team that dedicated years to bringing these defendants to justice. Their efforts prevented this transnational criminal gang from gaining a foothold in our community.”
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