Jesse S. Pagan, a 36-year-old White man from Montrose, Colorado, was killed in a shooting on June 11, 2026, near Kayla Trail in Montrose County. The incident unfolded on a Thursday afternoon in the 64000 block of Kayla Trail, where law enforcement responded after reports of a shooting. When authorities arrived, they found Pagan with an apparent gunshot wound and determined that he showed no signs of life.
The shooting scene quickly became the center of an active investigation by the Montrose County Sheriff's Office. Early reports described the case as a fatal shooting near Kayla Trail, with investigators still working through the first stages of evidence collection and witness interviews. Pagan's body was later transported to Community Hospital in Grand Junction, where a forensic autopsy was performed. The Montrose County Coroner's Office was still investigating the official cause and manner of death, and toxicology results were pending.
Authorities later identified the person arrested in connection with the shooting as 43-year-old Donald Benjamin Rodarte Jr. Deputies arrested Rodarte the same day Pagan was killed, and he was booked into the Montrose County Jail. Reports described Rodarte as being held at the jail while the investigation continued. His next court appearance was scheduled for July 2.
At the time of the latest available reports, investigators had not released a detailed account of what led up to the shooting, whether Pagan and Rodarte knew each other, or what possible motive may have been involved. The Sheriff's Office said the case remained active, with detectives continuing to conduct interviews and process evidence. Authorities also asked anyone with information to contact the Montrose County Sheriff's Office, Crime Stoppers, or submit a tip through P3tips.com.
The public record of the case leaves the picture incomplete, but the known timeline is clear: deputies were called to a shooting near Kayla Trail on June 11, Pagan was found fatally wounded, and Rodarte was arrested that same day in connection with the incident. No trial, plea, conviction, or final court outcome has been reported in the available online sources.
