DENVER — In a courtroom steeped in emotion, a teen was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole for the shooting death of a woman after a minor traffic collision in 2021.
Remi Cordova, who was 14 at the time of the shooting, was convicted in November on three counts related to the shooting: first-degree murder- extreme indifference, second-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder.
On Thursday, a judge vacated the second-degree murder conviction. Cordova was also sentenced to eight years in prison for the attempted first-degree murder conviction, to be served consecutively to his life sentence. Cordova will be eligible for parole after serving 40 years. He will also get credit for time served up until sentencing.
Pamela Cabriales, 32, was shot while stopped at a light at Colfax Avenue and Interstate 25 in February 2021. She died several days later and left behind a five-year-old son.
"I'm terribly sorry for the pain that you guys feel, but I cannot take responsibility for something that I did not do," Cordova told the court Thursday. "And I truly hope that someday, throughout me, appealing cases, or whatever this is, because it's a lot for me to understand, with all this, that y'all are truly able to get through your grief and understand that I'm not the monster or the murderer that I have been painted to be by Denver's district attorney office."
Cabriales's family and friends told the judge Thursday about how her loss has impacted them and continues to affect them years later.
"She was the heartbeat of our family," Alex Cabriales, Pamela's brother, told the court. "She was the example of what love and kindness should be in this world. Remi took that from us that night."
Many spoke about Cabriales' son, who is now eight.
"What do you do when your child asks you, 'who's going to take care of me if you die, Daddy?' 'I'm sad because I don't want to lose you,' 'I remember going to this place with my mommy before she died,' or 'what was mommy's favorite color?'" Cabriales' ex-husband, Lorenzo Rodriguez, said.
Maria Gubser, Pamela's oldest sister, said her heart breaks for each member of her family, "But mostly my heart breaks for my nephew, who will never hear his mom say he loves him," Gubser said. "He will never have his mom at his high school graduation or dance with his mom at his wedding. He cries out that he misses his mommy. She won't be there to help him learn how to drive or when he falls in love and gets married. His children will go their whole lives without ever being held by their grandmother."
Cabriales' friends and family all asked for the judge to hold Cordova accountable.
"Not only did Remi have the gun in his possession, he chose to get out of the vehicle," Gubser said. "He chose to take the safety off a loaded gun. He chose to pull the trigger, seven times, and shoot into my sister's windshield."
"Remi's senseless act of pure evil has left our family with the loss that words cannot describe," Alex Cabriales said.
Cordova's family told a different story: one of a teen who deserves a second chance. Despite his numerous prior run-ins with the law, Cordova's family said he deserves the opportunity for parole. Cousins referenced a childhood full of various forms of abuse, neglect and violence.
"Remi begged for help as a child," Cousin Michaela Perez told the court. "He didn't want to get in trouble. He wanted to stay out of trouble. He wanted to go to school."
Cordova's family expressed doubts about the investigative diligence done by Denver District Attorney Beth McCann and her manner, which they described as "cavalier, cruel, and at times legally irresponsible." Cordova's defense attorneys claimed he was battling psychological trauma.
"Where can we place blame in tragedy, and how do we trace the origin?" Perez asked. "Do we trace it back to the gun policies of this nation and the vulnerability of black and brown communities in this nation? Do we place the blame on social services that are a reflection of racial priorities, prioritization in this nation? Do we place the blames on the families suffering intergenerational trauma? Do we place the blame on the mother? Do we place the blame on the child? Do we place the blame on this child? The state of Colorado has placed the blame on this child."
Cordova's trial began on Oct. 21. His codefendant, Neshan Johnson, has already been convicted and was sentenced to 35 years in prison in July 2023.
According to court documents, the two teens thought Cabriales had tapped their car from behind at a red light. Police alleged that Cordova jumped out of a car with a gun and fired multiple rounds into a vehicle driven by Cabriales.
Johnson was driving the car and drove away from the scene after the shots were fired, according to police.
Johnson told police Cordova had gotten out of the car with an "AR15 and fired 15-20 shots into the car behind them," according to court documents.
Cordova was initially charged as a juvenile, but the case was later moved to adult court, despite his age at the time of the shooting.