In the quiet neighborhood of Morningside Heights in La Junta, Colorado, the evening of Friday, May 14, 2021, was shattered by an act of violence that claimed the life of Ernesto Apodaca III. The 48-year-old man was discovered shot inside his own vehicle, which was parked directly in front of his apartment building in the 600 block of Sunrise Avenue. The incident, which occurred around 6:30 p.m., prompted an extensive investigation involving multiple law enforcement agencies, including the La Junta Police Department and the Colorado Bureau of Investigation.
The investigation quickly led authorities to two individuals from Garden City, Kansas, who were believed to have known Apodaca. Matthew Perez and Nikki Olivas were identified as the primary suspects. Their apprehension took place just outside of Garden City, in Finney County, Kansas, where they were taken into custody without incident. The vehicle believed to have been used by the suspects was also recovered at the scene of the arrest. Following their capture, Perez and Olivas were held in the Finney County Sheriff's Office Detention Facility as they awaited extradition to Otero County, Colorado, to face charges related to the death of Ernesto Apodaca.
Ultimately, Matthew Perez faced the severe charge of First Degree Murder, while Nikki Olivas was charged with Accessory to First Degree Murder. The case proceeded through the legal system, and in September 2022, an Otero County jury found Matthew Perez guilty of the first-degree murder of Ernesto Apodaca. The conviction carried the weight of a life sentence in prison for his role in the fatal shooting that tragically ended a man's life in his own driveway.
