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Judge rejects plea deal for teen accused in 2021 killing of woman stopped at red light

Prosecutors offered Neshan Johnson seven years in the juvenile system. He is accused of driving a getaway car after another teen shot and killed a woman.

DENVER — Over the last 18 months,  Alex Cabriales said he has had a lot of bad days. This past Friday was an exception.

In February of last year, Cabriales' sister, Pamela, was shot to death while stopped at a light at Colfax Avenue and Interstate 25. 

Prosecutors charged 18-year-old Neshan Johnson and an unnamed 14-year-old with first-degree murder.  According to court documents, the two teens thought Cabriales had tapped their car from behind at a red light. Police said the 14-year-old was the shooter, while Johnson drove the getaway car.

RELATED: Teen murder suspect released from custody 3 times prior to killing, sources say

On Friday, a Denver judge rejected a deal that would have resulted in Johnson pleading guilty to second-degree murder and serving seven years in the Colorado youth offender system.  

"It was a small victory in a long battle," Alex Cabriales said. "Neshan Johnson has no remorse. We just let the judge know how we felt about the deal."

Credit: The Cabriales family
Pamela Cabriales was 32 years old when she was shot and killed in 2021.

RELATED: Siblings lost to gun violence decades apart

9NEWS legal analyst Scott Robinson said seven years in the youth offender system did seem like a lenient sentence given the nature of the case and he was not surprised the judge rejected the deal.

"It is unusual that any plea bargain is rejected in any case, except in high-profile cases involving a homicide," Robinson said.

According to court records, Johnson's trial is scheduled to begin on Nov. 28.

No trial date has yet been set for the 14-year-old who police said was the shooter. Prosecutors are planning to try him as an adult.

RELATED: DA plans to charge 14-year-old as adult in fatal shooting of woman in her vehicle

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