DENVER — An Aurora man convicted of shooting at a pursuing Douglas County deputy during a high-speed chase was sentenced Tuesday to 20 years in prison.
Jorge Armando Guzman, 42, pleaded guilty to attempted first-degree murder, vehicular eluding and possession of a weapon by a previous offender stemming from the Sept. 5, 2021 incident. Guzman will also serve five years of mandatory parole upon release.
Guzman was with Melinda Maldonado, 40, at the time of the incident. She was also sentenced Tuesday to 10 years in prison. She pleaded guilty to motor vehicle theft, vehicular eluding and accessory to a crime.
“Mr. Guzman was just released from the Denver County Jail and was picked up by the co-defendant to steal catalytic converters off cars,” Senior Deputy DA Corrie Caler said in a statement. “As a felon, this defendant should not have had a gun in the first place.”
The pair were attempting to steal car parts from a home in the 9700 block of Millstone Court when a Douglas County deputy spotted the two and gave chase.
Guzman, sitting in the passenger seat of a fleeing SUV, fired five shots at the pursuing deputy at one point during the chase, which reached speeds in excess of 100 mph.
The pursuit ended when the SUV crashed on the northbound I-25 off-ramp for Arapahoe Road.
“This defendant showed no regard for human life by recklessly firing multiple shots at a sheriff’s deputy doing his job,” Senior Deputy DA Jake Adkins said in a statement. “Any one of those bullets could have easily injured or killed the deputy or anyone else on the road that night.”
