Juan Garcia-Castrejon, 17, charged as adult in house party murder of Briana Rae Ramon (75)

Juan Carlos Garcia-Castrejon doesn't turn eighteen until September, but the Denver District Attorney's Office has already branded him an adult. That's how he's been charged in the Mother's Day murder of Brighton's Briana Rae Ramon, seventeen, after a house party spun out of control...

By Michael Roberts

June 2, 2011

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Juan Carlos Garcia-Castrejon doesn't turn eighteen until September, but the Denver District Attorney's Office has already branded him an adult.

That's how he's been charged in the Mother's Day murder of Brighton's Briana Rae Ramon, seventeen, after a house party spun out of control.

A sign on the house in question, located on the 2100 block of West Gill Place, read, "All our visitors bring happiness -- some by coming, some by going," but Ramon's loved ones clearly wish Garcia-Castrejon had never shown up at all. The DA's office asserts that he arrived at the party as it was breaking up, with the gunfire that followed killing Ramon and injuring a thirty-year-old man also in attendance. Shortly thereafter, witnesses identified Garcia-Castrejon, who was arrested the next day.

Charges against him include first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder and first-degree assault. He's being held without bond.

Look below to see a larger photo of Garcia-Castrejon and an interactive graphic showing the area near the scene (if you have problems seeing the image, click "View Larger Map"), followed by early coverage of the incident courtesy of Fox31:

View Larger Map

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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