Two defendants in 2023 Lafayette drive-by shooting sentenced – Boulder Daily Camera

Two co-defendants in a 2023 Lafayette shooting that left one person paralyzed have been sentenced following plea deals.

Joseph Hidalgo, 18, was sentenced to seven years in a juvenile delinquent prison, according to Boulder County District Attorney’s Office spokeswoman Shannon Carbone. However, if this sentence is not successfully completed, he will receive 21 years in prison.

Hidalgo pleaded guilty to one count of attempted first-degree murder – after deliberation, first-degree assault with a deadly weapon and unlawful discharge of a firearm on June 26.

Additionally, for unlawful possession of a firearm, he was sentenced to 361 days in the young offenders system with credit for 361 days served.

Hidalgo is accused of firing seven shots at a group of three people and seriously injuring one of them while his co-defendant was driving. The message states that the victim is paralyzed for the rest of his life.

Hidalgo was 17 years old at the time of the crime, so his booking photo was not available because he was a minor.

“This sentence will require Hidalgo to remain in custody for the next seven years,” said Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty. “Our team has spent a lot of time on this case and the sentence strikes the right balance, taking into account the facts and the man’s age. If the offender fails to comply with the stringent requirements of this sentence, he or she will be sent to the Department of Corrections for an additional 21 years.

Another defendant in the case, 20-year-old Nathen Rodriguez, was sentenced to 15 years in the Department of Corrections with 363 days of credit for time served.

Rodriguez pleaded guilty to second-degree assault occasioning great bodily injury, second-degree assault occasioning injury with a deadly weapon and accessory after the fact to a crime.

“Although prosecutors had asked for a longer sentence, the judge’s 15-year prison sentence reflects (Rodriguez’s) extremely egregious actions, as well as (Rodriguez’s) acceptance of responsibility and remorse for his conduct… Our office will continue to vigorously prosecute gun violence cases ” Dougherty said.

In May, 19-year-old Angel Viramontes pleaded guilty to illegally discharging a firearm and was sentenced to three years probation and 180 days of work leave.

According to the release, on September 8, 2023 at 11:25 p.m., Lafayette Police were called to a shooting at 700 Quail Drive. Upon arrival, they found a man lying on the sidewalk with a single gunshot wound to the torso.

The officers treated the injured man before he was transported to the hospital.

Police noted that the attackers fled the scene in a white SUV, which was later tracked by police to 800 Dove Cove using Flock license plate reading technology, according to the release.

At the time of the shooting, witnesses saw Hidalgo in a white SUV with a gun. Along with SWAT teams from Boulder and Broomfield counties, Lafayette police surrounded the residence at 800 Dove Cove.

Rodriguez was arrested on September 9, 2023 at 7:00 a.m.

According to the statement, witnesses told police that a third man fired shots and that he was part of the group that targeted the man in the white SUV. During interviews with two witnesses, police were told that Viramontes was with a group of victims and fired a .45-caliber handgun during the incident.

Witnesses gave police the address where they believed he lived.

A witness who lives at the address where the shooting occurred also agreed that Viramontes was there at the time of the shooting, according to the affidavit. Police determined that the timeline and details of the incident, including the color and type of car, were consistent with witness accounts.

According to the statement, six .45 caliber shell casings were found at the scene. Police said that based on interviews and a review of video footage, it was revealed that Viramontes’ involvement was covered up by two other people and that he returned fire at the SUV.

The affidavit appears to link this incident to a fatal drive-by shooting in Longmont in August 2022.