Share this @internewscast.com

An MS-13 gang member was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for his role in several murders and attempted murders that occurred in 2019, the 18th Judicial District Attorney’s Office announced Thursday.

Mauricio Alvarado-Vasquez, 31, was convicted and sentenced in July for several crimes that happened across the Denver metro between September and November 2019.

On September 8, 2019, the Aurora Dispatch Center received a 911 call about a car fire on Interstate 225. After putting out the fire, authorities found a body, later identified as Vicky DeDios, in the backseat floorboard. DeDios was stabbed more than 20 times, the district attorney’s office said.

Investigators determined the MS-13 gang perceived DeDios as a rival gang member. While she was out at a bar, she was lured outside, rendered unconscious and driven to a house, according to the DA’s office. She was stabbed to death in her vehicle.

After the stabbing, Alvarado-Vasquez and a co-defendant, David Tobias-Carbajal, drove the DeDios’ car — with her body in the back — and parked it on the shoulder of I-225. They then purchased gasoline and a lighter and set fire to the car.

Chief Deputy District Attorney Laura Wilson said Alvarado-Vasquez “bragged about stabbing the victim first and then asked her how it feels to die.”

Between September and October 2019, Alvarad-Vasquez conspired with two other people on Facebook and another messaging app to kill someone they believed was in a rival gang, according to the DA’s office. Members of MS-13 had been trying to figure out the person’s employer, work schedule and the type of car they drove so gang members could ambush and kill them.

On November 2, 2019, Glendale police officers were dispatched around 3 a.m. to a crash at the intersection of East Kentucky Avenue and South Birch Street. First responders spotted a man, later identified as Carlos Ramirez-Rivera, slumped over in the driver’s seat.

Security cameras footage showed Ramirez-Rivera was stopped at a stop sign when another car pulled up and fired multiple shots, the DA’s office said. He was shot in the arms and chest.

Ramirez-Rivera was targeted for his alleged involvement in a rival gang, according to the DA’s office. He was followed after he left a bar.

Nine days later on November 11, 2019, Aurora police officers responded to a shooting at an apartment complex on South Ironton Street just before 2:30 a.m. Six people were shot that night, according to the DA’s office.

Before the shooting, the victims were at a bar and were labeled as rival gang members by MS-13. However, there was no evidence to suggest that the victims were affiliated with a gang, the DA’s office said.

“This is one of the most violent and brutal gangs I have come across in my career as a prosecutor,” District Attorney John Kellner said in a statement. “I cannot stress enough how grateful I am to the state and federal law enforcement team that dedicated years to bringing these defendants to justice. Their efforts prevented this transnational criminal gang from gaining a foothold in our community.”

Between 2019 and 2020, more than a dozen people were charged with MS 13 gang-related crimes, according to the district attorney’s office.


D7 follow up bar 2460x400FINAL.png

What do you want Denver7 to follow up on? Is there a story, topic or issue you want us to revisit? Let us know with the contact form below.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like

Judge Condemns Trump’s ‘Illegal’ Executive Order Affecting Refugees

President Donald Trump delivers remarks prior to Steve Witkoff taking the oath…

Lehrmann Alleges Police Tampered with Crucial Evidence in Toowoomba Rape Case

Former Liberal staffer Bruce Lehrmann has claimed police destroyed evidence that could…

Police: Man Assaults Grandpa, Then Uses Wasp Spray

Background: A street in the area of the 3300 block of Covington…

Victoria to Implement Statewide Amnesty with 40 Machete Disposal Bins

The Victorian Government has unveiled a machete amnesty ahead of the statewide…

Judge Delivers Verdict in Dentist James Craig’s Murder Trial: Accused of Poisoning His Wife, Mother of Six

A verdict has been reached in the murder trial against James Craig,…

Trump Asserts Immunity in Defamation Case by Central Park 5

Inset, from left to right: Yusef Salaam, Antron McCray, Korey Wise, Kevin…

Police: Iowa Resident Attacks Grandfather With Golf Clubs, Uses Wasp Spray on Injuries

An Iowa man is facing several charges after reportedly assaulting his grandfather…

Mother Allegedly Involves Children in Scheme Leading to In-Law’s Allergic Reaction: Police Report

Inset: Tiffany Gregory (Louisville Metro Detention Center). Background: Louisville Metro Detention Center…

Husband Who Buried Wife in Concrete Learns His Sentence

Top inset: Elsie Mae Wiggington (GoFundMe). Bottom inset: Frederick Lewis Wiggington (Middle…

Deputies: Woman Fatally Attacked Grandmother with Mallet

Background: A woman thought to be Jailen Lupton seen on Vivint security…

District Attorney: Officer Accuses Neighbor of Taking Mail

Inset: Jazmin Featherstone (Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department). Background: The 5000 block of Pinebrook…

Defense Lawyers Criticize DOJ’s ‘Extreme’ Support for Alina Habba

Donald Trump’s lawyer, Alina Habba, addresses the media outside the New York…