Colorado Crimes: Daniel Lujan gets thirty years for shooting eight-year old

Reminder: Doing a really idiotic thing can have a lifetime's worth of repercussions. Exhibit A: Daniel Lujan, who received a thirty-year sentence yesterday for responding to an argument over a bicycle sale last year by firing a shot that perforated an eight-year-old girl (she recovered, but only after multiple surgeries)...

By Michael Roberts

August 7, 2009

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Reminder: Doing a really idiotic thing can have a lifetime's worth of repercussions. Exhibit A: Daniel Lujan, who received a thirty-year sentence yesterday for responding to an argument over a bicycle sale last year by firing a shot that perforated an eight-year-old girl (she recovered, but only after multiple surgeries). The judge in the case called the choice "stupid," and it's hard to argue with that logic.

Read the Denver District Attorney's Office release about the sentencing after the jump.

MAN SENTENCED IN SHOOTING OF EIGHT-YEAR-OLD

A twenty-one-year-old man charged in the shooting of a young girl last summer was sentenced today in connection with the case.

Daniel Lujan (dob: 05-17-88) pleaded guilty earlier to one count of assault in the first-degree resulting in serious bodily injury (F3) and one count of attempted murder in the first-degree (F2). Lujan was sentenced today to a total of thirty years in prison, twenty stemming from the assault and ten for the attempted murder charge.

Victoria Esparza (dob: 07-24-88) pleaded guilty earlier to one count of accessory to crime (F4) and received a four-year deferred judgment.

On June 20, 2008, Lujan and Esparza drove to 32nd and Curtis Streets where Lujan fired multiple gunshots at a group of people from the vehicle. One round struck the 8-year-old victim causing serious bodily injury.

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Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

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