Denver woman fatally shot by pursuit suspects

A 21-year-old Denver woman driving with her mother north of Longmont early Sunday morning was fatally shot by at least one person from a broken-down vehicle stopped in the middle of the highway. 

That vehicle had been involved minutes earlier in a police pursuit, according to a press release from the Boulder County Sheriff's Office. Larimer County deputies, suspecting the driver of driving under the influence, reportedly initiated pursuit of the vehicle at 12:15 a.m.

That pursuit was called off near Berthoud. The reason for the pursuit's termination was not provided in the BCSO press release. The suspect vehicle was last seen southbound on Highway 287 near Highway 56.

Fifteen minutes after the pursuit was aborted, Boulder County dispatchers began receiving calls about a vehicle stopped on Highway 287 at Yellowstone Road. Callers reported several people were seen running from the broken-down car. 

Ten minutes later, staff at a Longmont hospital reported a gunshot wound victim was being treated at its facility. That person, the 21-year-old woman, died shortly after arrival, according to the Boulder County press release. The hospital was not named in the press release.

The woman was a passenger in a car being driven by her mother. The pair reportedly came upon the broken-down suspect vehicle and received gunfire. Investigators believe one or more of the suspects fired at the mother's car in an attempt to steal it. 

As law enforcement responded to the hospital, other officers and deputies went to the broken-down suspect vehicle. SWAT teams from both Larimer and Boulder counties were called in to conduct searches of the area around Highway 287 and Yellowstone Road.

They eventually found four suspects in a camper trailer parked on a residential property nearby. The two males and two females were taken into custody. Three of them were arrested and charged:

Martin Cerda, 23 years old

• Murder in the 2nd degree, a class 2 felony
• Attempted aggravated robbery, a class 4 felony
• Vehicular eluding, a class 5 felony
• Possession of a weapon by a previous offender, a class 5 felony

Adriana Vargas, 24 years old 

• Murder in the 2nd degree, a class 2 felony
• Possession of a weapon by a previous offender, a class 5 felony
• Arrested for several outstanding arrest warrants not connected to this incident

Marissa Ruiz, 24 years old resident

• Arrested for several outstanding warrants out of Weld County which are not connected to this incident   

All three are from the Greeley area. 

The 21-year-old victim's identity is not being released until notifications of her relatives has been completed.