A man accused of shooting at a Douglas County sheriff’s deputy during a chase in 2021 was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
“This defendant showed no regard for human life by recklessly firing multiple shots at a sheriff’s deputy doing his job,” Senior Deputy District Attorney Jake Adkins said in a prepared statement. “Any one of those bullets could have easily injured or killed the deputy or anyone else on the road that night.”
The passenger in the SUV being chased, later identified as Jorge Armando Guzman, fired five shots at the deputy, according to prosecutors.
Guzman, 42, pleaded guilty to attempted first-degree murder, vehicular eluding and possession of a weapon by a previous offender.
Around 3:45 a.m. on Sept. 5, 2021, a deputy was dispatched to a home in the 9700 block of Millstone Court in Highlands Ranch.
A homeowner told dispatchers that two people were attempting to steal car parts. When he yelled at the suspects, both fled in a white SUV, according to the 18th Judicial District Attorney’s Office, which covers Arapahoe, Douglas, Elbert and Lincoln counties.
A deputy later spotted an SUV that fit the description of the suspect vehicle and attempted a traffic stop. The vehicle evaded the deputy, reaching speeds above 100 mph.
The pursuit ended when the SUV crashed on the northbound Interstate 25 off ramp at Arapahoe Road. Guzman was captured following a brief foot chase while the driver, identified as Melinda Maldonado, 40, was taken into custody immediately.
In addition to the prison sentence, Guzman is also expected to serve five years of mandatory parole upon release.
“Mr. Guzman was just released from the Denver County Jail and was picked up by the co-defendant,” Senior Deputy DA Corrie Caler said in a prepared statement, adding: “As a felon, this defendant should not have had a gun in the first place.”
Guzman was sentenced April 23 in Douglas County District Court. Maldonado was also sentenced that day to 10 years in prison. She pleaded guilty to motor vehicle theft, vehicular eluding and “accessory to a crime,” according to the DA’s office.