ARAPAHOE COUNTY, Colo. — A Littleton man was sentenced last week in the 2019 fatal shooting of a 13-year-old boy and the attempted murder of the boy's cousin, according to the 18th Judicial District Attorney's Office.
Antonio Pulido Mendez, 19, was one of four suspects in the July 14, 2019, incident. He was a juvenile at the time of the shooting, which happened in an alley in the 3600 block between South Bannock and South Acoma streets.
He and the other suspects set up a meeting with Jonah Hirsh, 13, and his cousin to buy drugs with the intent to rob them, the DA's Office says in a news release.
Mendez was the one who fired the shots, killing Jonah and seriously injuring the cousin, who was shot in the neck. The cousin survived.
On Aug. 3, Mendez pleaded guilty to:
- Second-degree murder
- Attempted first-degree murder
He was sentenced on Nov. 9.
“The intent was never to buy drugs – it was to rob the victims, who were not armed,” Senior Deputy District Attorney Daniel Warhola said at the sentencing. “Jonah was shot through both lungs and his heart. What this defendant did is not allowed, cannot be tolerated and must be punished.”
“What brought us here is a tragedy – poor choices, poor decisions, and now consequences for those,” said Judge Elizabeth Weishaupl. “Jonah deserved the opportunity to learn and grow and engage with the world, and he was never be able to do that.”
The other three defendants already had been sentenced, according to the DA's Office:
- Marcus Antonio Montez, 19, of Centennial pleaded guilty in June 2020 to second-degree murder and conspiracy to commit aggravated robbery, and he was sentenced in August 2020 to 20 years in prison. The DA's Office said he planned the robbery.
- Jesus Perez Medrano, 21, of Centennial pleaded guilty in June 2020 to second-degree murder and conspiracy to commit aggravated robbery, and he was sentenced in August 2020 to 18 years in prison. The DA's Office said he was the driver.
- The fourth defendant was sentenced to seven years in the Youthful Offender System.
SUGGESTED VIDEOS: Latest from 9NEWS
