Denver metro woman shot, killed in alleged carjacking incident
A woman from the Denver metro area died on Sunday after she was shot in what investigators believe was an attempted carjacking in Boulder County.
The 21-year-old woman arrived at a hospital in Longmont with an apparent gunshot wound early on Sunday morning, according to the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office. She died shortly after arriving at the hospital, according to the sheriff’s office.
Investigators believe the woman and her mother, who was driving the pair’s vehicle, happened upon a group whose car broke down while they were avoiding Larimer County law enforcement.
At 12:15 a.m. that morning a Larimer County Sheriff’s Office deputy tried to stop a driver he suspected of being under the influence in unincorporated Larimer County, according to the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office.
“The vehicle eluded the deputy in the Berthoud area and was last seen southbound on Highway 287, near Highway 56, when the LCSO deputy stopped pursuing,” the Boulder County Sheriff’s news release said.
At roughly 12:30 a.m., the Boulder County Communications Center received reports of a disabled and suspicious vehicle in the road near Highway 287 and Yellowstone Road, which is unincorporated Boulder County, the sheriff’s office said. People reportedly ran from the vehicle.
Boulder County was notified of the hospitalized woman with a gunshot wound at 12:40 a.m.
Boulder and Larimer County sheriff’s deputies as well as SWAT personnel and investigators from each county searched the area of the abandoned vehicle. Deputies found four suspects in a camper trailer at a nearby residential property. Two men and two women were taken into custody without incident, the sheriff’s office said.
Boulder County Sheriff’s Office investigators interviewed the individuals and determined the injured woman was not connected with the group. They believe the woman and her mother were passing through the same intersection as the suspects’ vehicle when the group stopped.
The suspects got out of their disabled vehicle, and one of the individuals allegedly shot at the mother and daughter’s vehicle with a handgun, hitting the victim.
“It is believed that the primary suspect had shot at the victims’ vehicle in an attempt to carjack them,” the sheriff’s office news release said.
Three residents of the Greeley area were arrested and charged for their alleged role in the incident.
Martin Cerda, 23, is facing charges of murder in the 2nd degree, a class 2 felony; attempted aggravated robbery, a class 4 felony; vehicular eluding, a class 5 felony; and possession of a weapon by a previous offender, a class 5 felony.
Adriana Vargas, 24, was charged with murder in the 2nd degree, a class 2 felony; possession of a weapon by a previous offender, a class 5 felony; and has several outstanding arrest warrants not associated to this investigation, according to the sheriff’s office.
Marissa Ruiz, 24, was arrested for several outstanding warrants out of Weld County that are not associated to this investigation, the sheriff’s office said.




