In the winter of 2023, the life of 16-year-old Aaliyah Cortez was tragically cut short in Denver's Montbello neighborhood. On the evening of January 11th, Aaliyah and her older sister, Jennifer Granados-Cortez, arranged to sell THC vape pens to someone they had connected with on Snapchat. When they arrived at the agreed-upon location on North Atchison Way, two individuals approached their car.
One of the individuals, later identified as 17-year-old Brandon Sandoval, brandished a gun and
pointed it at Jennifer, demanding the vape pens. In a moment of panic, Jennifer threw the items out of the car and attempted to drive away. However, icy conditions caused the car to lose traction. Sandoval grabbed onto the car door and reached inside as the sisters fought back. During the struggle, the gun discharged, and a single bullet struck Aaliyah. Jennifer rushed her sister to a hospital, but Aaliyah succumbed to her injuries the following day, January 12, 2023.
The investigation into Aaliyah's death led police to identify Brandon Sandoval and another 17-year-old, Marvin Perdomo-Cil, as the suspects. Sandoval was arrested in January 2023 and charged as an adult with first-degree murder, among other charges. In June 2024, he pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of second-degree murder. In November 2024, Sandoval, then 18, was sentenced to seven years in the Youthful Offender System. This sentence, which focuses on rehabilitation, was a point of contention for Aaliyah's grieving family, who had hoped for a much longer prison term. The court stipulated that if Sandoval fails to comply with the terms of the youthful offender program, he could face up to 48 years in prison. The outcome of any legal proceedings against Marvin Perdomo-Cil has not been as widely reported.
