Denver Escapee Found Guilty Of Attempted Murder Of Officer

DENVER, CO – A Denver fugitive who inspired a manhunt that ended in the police shooting that killed another person was found guilty of attempted murder of a police officer, the Denver District Attorney's Office said Tuesday.

Mauricio Venzor-Gonzalez, 24, escaped from the custody of Denver Sheriff's deputies while on a medical visit to Denver Health Medical Center exactly a year ago on March 19, 2018. Denver police shot and killed Steven Nguyen, 23, and injured another, firing a weapon 43 times, in a case of mistaken identity later that day. Venzor-Gonzalez was finally nabbed in July, 2018 wearing disguising dreads, after months on the run.

But Monday's jury decision was for the events that got Venzor-Gonzalez into custody in the first place.

It began with a traffic stop in November, 2017 when officers tried to pull over a car near the area of West Alameda Avenue and South Stuart Street on a vehicle in which Venzor-Gonzalez was a passenger, the DA's office said.

The driver drove away from police officers but crashed into a parked car. Venzor-Gonzalez then allegedly fled on foot and was pursued by a Denver officer.

"Through the course of the foot-chase, Venzor-Gonzalez shot multiple times at the officer who returned fire. A subsequent investigation by the Denver District Attorney’s Office concluded that no criminal charges were warranted against that officer," the DA's office said in a statement.

The Denver jury Monday found Venzor-Gonzalez guilty of attempted first-degree murder, first-degree assault on a peace officer, retaliation against a witness , and two counts of possession of a weapon by a previous offender, the DA's office said.

Venzor-Gonzalez proved his ability to evade capture the first time, by hiding for three days until law enforcement learned of his Aurora hideout. After a multi-hour standoff, Venzor-Gonzalez was taken into custody from a weapons-filled home. Police recovered firearms including an AR-15 and a Glock 26 that was later determined to be the gun used to shoot at the officer in the prior traffic incident, the DA's office said.

Venzor-Gonzalez had been shot three times during the first incident, but had not sought medical help. He was initially treated at Denver Health Medical Center.

Months later in March, 2018, while he was being transported from the Denver Detention Center to the Denver Health Medical Center, Venzor-Gonzalez escaped from custody again.

He will be tried separately for his escape charge on July 23, 2019. Venzor-Gonzalez is scheduled for a sentencing hearing for the first conviction on June 14, 2019.

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