ARAPAHOE COUNTY, Colo. — A man convicted on multiple counts including attempted murder faces new charges after attacking the victim during their testimony in court, the 18th Judicial District Attorney's Office said.
Daniel Ayala, 29, was convicted Monday on the following charges related to a hit-and-run crash involving a man walking his dog in June 2021:
- Attempted murder
- Assault with a deadly weapon causing serious bodily harm
- Two sentence enhancers for committing a violent crime with a weapon
Aurora Police Department officers responded to the crash involving a pedestrian near the intersection of East Kent Drive and East Loyola Place and found a 30-year-old man with lower body injuries.
The victim told police he was walking his dog when a white Chevrolet Avalanche accelerated towards him, hitting him and his dog with the hood of the car.
The victim identified the driver as Ayala, who was a prior acquaintance. When police questioned Ayala, he admitted to intentionally hitting the victim with his car, the district attorney's office said.
While the victim was testifying in court, Ayala jumped up from behind the defense table and repeatedly hit the victim in the face and body, the district attorney's office said.
Multiple people in the courtroom including two deputy district attorneys intervened and were able to detain Ayala. The victim and one of the deputy district attorneys suffered minor injuries.
Ayala's bond was revoked and he will be sentenced on Oct. 28 for the hit-and-run conviction. He also faces the following charges in connection to the courtroom assault, according to the district attorney's office:
- Third-degree assault
- Retaliation against a witness/victim
- Two counts of violating a protection order
“This defendant tried to kill the victim by running him over with his truck,” Chief Deputy District Attorney Andrew Steers said. “To make matters worse, this defendant then physically attacked the victim on the stand. The verdict is appropriate.”
“Attacking a victim while he is testifying is an insult to our justice system and something no witness should ever have to fear,” Deputy DA Chandler Neumann said. “The victim showed tremendous bravery throughout the trial and this verdict will finally provide the victim with some closure.”
RELATED: 'They want to turn me into a zombie': Planned Parenthood suspect in court over forced medication
> Top stories from 9NEWS curated daily just for you! Sign up for the 9NEWSLETTER right now to get can’t-miss stories, Next and Broncos content, weather and more delivered right to your inbox.
SUGGESTED VIDEOS: Latest from 9NEWS
9NEWS+ has multiple live daily shows including 9NEWS Mornings, Next with Kyle Clark and 9NEWS+ Daily, an original streaming program. 9NEWS+ is where you can watch live breaking news, weather updates, and press conferences. You can also replay recent newscasts and find videos on demand of our top stories, local politics, investigations and Colorado specific features.
To download 9NEWS+ on Roku search for KUSA.
To download 9NEWS+ on Fire TV search for 9NEWS.