GOLDEN, Colo. — The man who was convicted of the murder of Arvada Police Officer Dillon Vakoff was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in a Jefferson County courtroom Thursday.
Last week, a jury found Sonny Almanza, 32, guilty of murder and other charges in the Sept. 11, 2022 shooting death of 27-year-old Vakoff. Vakoff and another officer had responded to a family disturbance on West 51st Avenue near the intersection with Marshall Street in Arvada, where they tried to break up a fight between family members.
Investigators said the fight started as a custody dispute between Almanza and the mother of his two children.
During the trial, Almanza took the stand and claimed self-defense. He testified that he fired shots toward Vakoff but that he thought Vakoff was another man, named Jerry Lopez, who was part of the conflict. Almanza was also accused of shooting a woman in the leg during the same incident.
Almanza was convicted on Dec. 7 of all counts, including murder, attempted murder, assault and trespassing.
During Thursday's sentencing, Vakoff's loved ones shared emotional stories about what they've had to endure since he was killed and how they hope he is remembered.
Officer Megan Esslinger, Vakoff's girlfriend, spoke for more than 20 minutes before Almanza was sentenced to life in prison.
"You’ve caused pain to the men and women who took an oath to protect communities from people like you,” Esslinger said.
Esslinger remembered the last interaction she had with her boyfriend before he was killed.
"We did our handshake and told each other we loved one another," she said. "Then, not even an hour before you murdered Dillon, I was able to talk to him on the phone. I didn’t think to say goodbye, because he told me he would call me right back. I never heard from Dillon again.”
Esslinger said the next call she received informed her that Vakoff was shot. She said she felt helpless, and that feeling has yet to go away. She said she can still hear her screams from that day, echoing inside her head.
"You took our future away, you took the man I wanted to marry and start a family with," Esslinger said. "You took away a son, a brother, a boyfriend, and an amazing person who was only there to help your family. And while he was trying to help your family you took his life in seconds.”
Esslinger said a part of her died on Sept. 11, 2022 — and she will never get it back.
"I see him everywhere I look in the house we were making into a home that now feels empty, silent," Esslinger said. "The biggest piece is forever missing.”
Esslinger said she will never grow old with Vakoff, or dance with him ever again. Arvada Police Chief Ed Brady said Vakoff would have been a wonderful father because he was a great human.
"The Colorado legislature abolished capital punishment even for the most heinous of crimes," Brady said. "The murder of Officer Vakoff was one of those crimes. So there is only one just sentence in this case, and that is life in prison.”
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Some of Almanza's family members also shared statements.
“We love him. And I’m sorry for everybody’s loss. No one wins out of this but I love you, Sonny," said Shantell Swan, Almanza's cousin. “He knows what he did is wrong and he is now taken away from the people who love him the most, not only his family here but his daughters who are everything to him.”
Jacob Marrujo, Almanza's brother-in-law, said Almanza is a loving father, brother and son.
"Sonny’s a good person. A lot of people might not know that but Sonny is a good person at heart, to his kids, to his family, everything," Marrujo said. "At the end of the day, the whole police department can sit here and that's fine but they should be out protecting and serving the community."
Almanza's loved ones told the court this case would continue to leave a lasting sense of mistrust between the community and police.
"This was an accident," Swan said. "They might not want to believe that, he's not a cop killer like everyone who has spoken on. Sonny is an amazing person," Swan said.
Almanza said he prays the anger is taken away, and that everyone heals as best as possible.
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