A Denver man pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree murder and one count of second-degree assault in the 2017 killing of a 26-year-old woman.
According to a news release from the Denver District Attorney’s Office, Jesus Jurado-Lugo, 25, confessed to the shooting and killing of Lydia Coronado in Athmar Park on July 16, 2017. Jurado-Lugo injured another person during the shooting.
Jurado-Lugo had been identified as a suspect a few days after the murder. A woman and her two children who were driving to a grocery store in the area when the shooting happened and her daughter captured video of Jurado-Lugo on the scene.
Another individual identified a white 2014 Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck seen in the area as belonging to Jurado-Lugo.
Jurado-Lugo went into hiding and was living with his grandmother in Chihuahua, Mexico, for some time. He was arrested in Mexico in August 2023 before being extradited back to Denver in December 2023.
Jurado-Lugo is set to be sentenced on April 4, facing a sentence of 30 to 45 years, according to his plea agreement. One charge of first-degree murder after deliberation and one charge of first-degree assault were dropped as part of the agreement.
“I hope this plea provides a measure of comfort and a sense of justice for Lydia Coronado’s friends and family,” District Attorney John Walsh said in the release. “I hope this case sends the message that, no matter how long it takes, violent criminals in Denver will be arrested and prosecuted to the full extent of the law.”
Sign up to get crime news sent straight to your inbox each day.