'They Left Her For Dead': 14 Year Old & 18 Year Old Charged With Murder Of Pamela Cabriales On Colfax
DENVER (CBS4) - A 14-year-old male and 18-year-old Neshan Johnson are both being charged with the murder of 32-year-old Pamela Cabriales, according to the Denver District Attorney's Office. Cabriales was shot on Feb. 20 while she was in her car on Colfax Avenue near Interstate 25.
According to the medical examiner, she suffered at least one gunshot wound to the head and died several days later at the hospital.
Johnson and the 14-year-old juvenile face two counts of murder in the first degree and one count of criminal attempt to commit murder in the first degree with extreme indifference, along with several other charges, the DA's office said.
"They left her for dead," said Alex Cabriales, Pamela's brother.
Family members tell CBS4 Cabriales was on her way home from dinner with a friend at the time.
According to police documents, a witness saw someone exit a dark-colored, four-door Honda, walk up to passenger side of Cabriales' Range Rover, fire at least six rounds into it and then return to the vehicle which left the scene.
Police officers later found Cabriales' SUV in the right lane with eight bullet holes in the windshield and two shell casings on the ground.
"I still can't understand what would make someone do this," Alex said. "It's evil."
Just after midnight, a DPD officer found the dark-colored, four-door Honda going north on Federal Boulevard near Exposition Avenue. According to police documents, the officer investigated a shooting at a McDonald's restaurant's drive-thru the previous evening and recognized the vehicle from the restaurant's surveillance images.
After a pursuit, officers arrested Johnson and two other juveniles. According to a probable cause statement, investigators believe the 14-year-old juvenile was the shooter while Johnson drove the car.
Cabriales' brother says he's been told the DA's Office filed a motion to try the juvenile as an adult.
"For one, age should not matter," he said. "Two, they should not walk a day in their life."
Family described Cabriales as exuberant and kindhearted. The 32 year old was a real estate agent and proud mother of a 5-year-old boy.
"She was just a beautiful, beautiful, happy, loving girl," Alex said.
Family members' feelings of pain and anger are all too familiar. Alex tells CBS4 his brother Noel was shot and killed in 1994 over an incident involving a dog. At the time, Noel was 14 years old.
"His killer got charged with manslaughter and walked after a few years," Alex said. "He got out and killed someone else."
Almost 27 years later, Cabriales is determined to make sure that doesn't happen again. He is urging prosecutors to not show any mercy to the two suspects in his sister's case.
In an interview with CBS4, he delivered a message aimed directly at Denver District Attorney Beth McCann.
"You have two kids," he said. "Do what you would do if this had happened to both of them."
The family says Pamela's young son is in good hands with his father right now, but they have set up a GoFundMe page to help with paying for college and other future expenses.