Hugo Vazquez-Topete Sentenced To 25 Years For Shooting Outside Castle Rock Grocery Store
(CBS4) -- An Aurora man was sentenced to 25 years in prison for shooting a King Soopers customer in the parking lot of the Ridge Road store in Castle Rock in 2019. Hugo Vazquez-Topete, 29, pleaded guilty to one count of first-degree assault, a Class 3 felony. Other counts were dismissed as part of the plea agreement.
"This defendant has a previous criminal history. In this case, for a perceived minor slight, he didn't hesitate to pull out a gun and fire at a group of people he didn't even know," said Senior Deputy District Attorney Jake Adkins.
On Aug. 6, 2019, Vazquez-Topete and two associates went to the gas pumps in the parking lot of the grocery store to fill up, and exchanged words with another group that was gassing up.
The other group got in their car and drove to the exit. While they were at the stoplight, Vazquez-Topete and one of his associates fired a gun at their car. The victim was hit by one round in the chest.
The victim was taken to a hospital and survived.
Vazquez-Topete was later arrested in Denver.
Benito Bautista, 27, of Denver, fired at the victim's car but did not hit anyone. He pleaded guilty Nov. 3, 2020, to one count of attempted first-degree assault, a Class 4 felony.
Other counts were dismissed as part of the plea agreement. Bautista was sentenced Jan. 21, 2021, to 14 years in the Colorado Department of Corrections.