In a tragic turn of events on December 10, 2014, 17-year-old Jayson Figueroa was killed in a triple homicide in unincorporated Adams County, near Denver, Colorado. The Hispanic male was one of three victims who lost their lives that day at a residence on Cragmore Street. The other victims were identified as 37-year-old Jason Quijada and 18-year-old Johnny Gutierrez.
A fourth individual, Joshua Williamson, was also shot during the incident but survived.
The investigation into the brutal slayings led law enforcement to two suspects: Gabriel Flores and Furmen Lee Leyba. The motive for the killings was determined to be a robbery, during which the perpetrators stole money, firearms, drugs, and credit cards from the victims. The day of the murders, one of the suspects, Gabriel Flores, was apprehended after a high-speed chase that began in Golden and concluded near Morrison. Flores, who was 42 at the time, was taken into custody without further incident.
The second suspect, 32-year-old Furmen Lee Leyba, was located and arrested two days after the shootings. During his arrest, an Adams County Sheriff's deputy was shot and injured. The deputy was treated for non-life-threatening injuries and released. Both Flores and Leyba had extensive criminal histories.
In June 2016, a jury convicted Furmen Lee Leyba on charges of aggravated robbery, robbery, and three counts of being an accessory to first-degree murder. In August of the same year, he was sentenced to 36 years in prison. Gabriel Flores faced trial and was convicted of three counts of first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder for the shooting of the survivor, and aggravated robbery. In January 2017, Flores received a sentence of three consecutive life terms in prison, in addition to 48 years, ensuring he would spend the remainder of his life behind bars. The successful prosecution of both individuals brought a measure of closure to the families of the victims.
