Cortez street shooting suspect Trinadie Lopez pleaded guilty Tuesday to felony menacing and will be sentenced Oct. 25 at 10 a.m. in the 22nd Judicial District.
During his plea hearing, Lopez was also remanded to the Montezuma County Detention Center, where he will await his sentencing hearing in October.
According to District Attorney Christian Hatfield, Lopez pleaded guilty to felony menacing under aggravated circumstances.
Lopez turned himself into the Cortez Police Department in October after a warrant for his arrest and the arrest of other suspects was made public. Lopez was being sought by police after a street shooting near Empire and Market Streets on Sept. 15. The shooting left an 18-year-old bystander fighting for her life after being struck in the leg by a bullet.
Josilyn Mark was flown to Grand Junction, but has since recovered from her injury.
Earlier this year, at a previous hearing, the district attorney’s office acknowledged that it would be difficult to determine who fired the gun, as footage gleaned from the incident did not catch the shooter’s face. They believed the most likely suspect was Lopez, based on their investigation.
The shooting was also allegedly targeting an individual named Noah Farrar, who was not injured.
If convicted, Lopez could spend six years in the Department of Corrections, Hatfield said.
