DENVER — A trial for the second defendant in the murder of Pamela Cabriales will begin in a courtroom this week, nearly four years after she was killed in her car at the corner of I-25 and Colfax. Cabriales was 32 years old and left behind a son.
Police alleged that on February 20, 2021, Remi Cordova jumped out of a car with a gun and fired multiple rounds into a vehicle driven by Cabriales. Police said the shooting happened after Cabriales accidentally bumped into the car in which Cordova was a passenger.
Cordova was 14 years old at the time.
Cordova, now 18, is being tried as an adult for murder. Jury selection began Monday, and opening statements are expected to begin on Tuesday. The trial may last up to eight days.
“There's no amount of time that can bring my sister back. There's no number. All we can hope for as a family is that he gets the maximum sentence allowed by the law,” said Alex Cabriales, Pamela’s brother.
Last year, Neshan Johnson, the driver of the car Cordova was riding in, was found guilty of murder and subsequently sentenced to 35 years in prison.
Before Cabriales was killed, Cordova was released from custody at least three times for aggravated robbery, 9NEWS has reported.
Alex Cabriales calls the case a failure of justice because of the broken bonding system for repeat offenders.
“Criminals know this and they're getting away with it. They're winning right now,” Cabriales said.
Cabriales’s brother, Noel Cabriales, was murdered in 1994. For the family, the trial is expected to bring up a lot of emotions, Alex Cabriales said.
“She was a mother, she was a daughter, she was a sister, a friend of many, and her life was very meaningful. And the way he took her life was just no regard for humankind,” Alex Cabriales said.
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