Organized Crime Act charges filed in Cherry Creek North carjacking
Prosecutors added stiff organized crime charges against two 19-year-olds accused in a Jan. 24 carjacking in Cherry Creek that left a mother and daughter with head injuries.
The Denver District Attorney's Office announced charges on Thursday against four adult males and two juvenile males for their alleged roles in an aggravated armed double carjacking in Cherry Creek North last month. Josiah McCray, 19, Jurdon Bryant-Beasley, 19, Elrich Haliburton, 18, Nyariee Richardson, 20, and two juveniles, ages 15 and 16.
The mother and daughter were ambushed while picking up a vehicle from the Clayton Lane parking garage in a very busy Cherry Creek North Shopping District on Jan. 24.
After the two victims called the police, officers pursued the stolen car to 17th Avenue and Willow Street where the car stopped and several individuals exited the car to allegedly carjack a second vehicle. Officers arrested the six suspects in a nearby backyard.
McCray is facing several charges including violating Colorado's Organized Crime Control Act, aggravated robbery, assault, aggravated motor vehicle theft and attempted robbery. He is accused of hitting the daughter in the head with a gun.
Bryant-Beasley is facing several charges including violating Colorado's Organized Crime Control Act, aggravated robbery, aggravated motor vehicle theft and attempted robbery.
The Denver District Attorney's Office did not answer inquiries about why McCray and Bryant-Beasley were accused of Organized Crime Control Act. But the victims said police told them, "They are using young recruits to do a lot of these crimes because they've got nothing to lose."
"The system can't hold them for very long," said the mother, who wished to identify herself only by her first name, Michelle.
"It felt organized," said her daughter Allie Thursday night.
The carjackers knocked a satellite antenna from the roof of the stolen vehicle that they may have believed had the potential to help track the Audi SUV.
The Organized Crime Control Act carries a potential penalty of 8-24 years.
Haliburton is facing several charges including aggravated robbery, conspiracy to commit aggravated robbery, aggravated motor vehicle theft, and conspiracy to commit aggravated motor vehicle theft.
Richardson is facing several charges including aggravated robbery, one count of aggravated motor vehicle theft, aggravated motor vehicle theft, conspiracy to commit aggravated robbery, attempted aggravated robbery, and attempt to influence a public servant.
The 16-year-old male juvenile is facing several charges including aggravated robbery, second-degree assault, aggravated motor vehicle theft, aggravated motor vehicle theft, conspiracy to commit aggravated robbery, conspiracy to commit aggravated motor vehicle theft and with the sentence enhancing charge of being a violent juvenile offender using a weapon. The 16-year-old is believed to have hit the mother in the head with a gun.
The 15-year-old male juvenile is facing several charges including aggravated robbery, aggravated motor vehicle theft, aggravated motor vehicle theft, conspiracy to commit aggravated robbery, conspiracy to commit aggravated motor vehicle theft and one count of attempt to commit aggravated motor vehicle theft.
The mother and daughter remain concerned about the rising number of crimes in areas like Cherry Creek as well as other attempted carjackings and hope the public is aware of what's happening.
"Crime in Denver, we all have to start talking honestly about what's happening," said the mom.
