In a quiet home in Adams County, just north of Denver, a tragic story unfolded on December 10, 2014, forever altering the lives of several families. On that day, 18-year-old Johnny Angel Gutierrez was found shot to death alongside two other individuals, 37-year-old Jason Albert Quizada and 17-year-old Jayson Antonio Figueroa. The grim discovery was made after a distraught woman placed a 911 call reporting a disturbance, leading authorities to the scene of the triple homicide on Cragmore
Street.
The investigation into the brutal slayings quickly led to the identification of two suspects: Gabriel Flores, then 41, and Furmen Leyba, who was 30 at the time. The motive appeared to be robbery, with allegations that the pair had stolen money, firearms, drugs, and credit cards from the victims. A fourth man at the residence, Joshua Williamson, was also shot but survived the attack. In the wake of the tragedy, Johnny Gutierrez's father, Leo Segura, made a heartfelt plea for his son to be remembered not as a gang member, but as his 'No. 1 champion.'
The wheels of justice began to turn with the apprehension of the suspects. Furmen Leyba was arrested, and during the attempt to take him into custody, an Adams County sheriff's deputy was shot but thankfully survived. Gabriel Flores, identified as the alleged gunman, was also taken into custody. Both men faced a litany of charges, including first-degree murder. The legal proceedings that followed painted a grim picture of the events that transpired, with prosecutors meticulously building their case against the two men.
Ultimately, both men were held accountable for their roles in the deadly home invasion. Furmen Leyba was convicted of aggravated robbery and being an accessory to first-degree murder. In August 2016, he was sentenced to 36 years in prison. Gabriel Lee Flores faced the full weight of the law for his actions as the shooter. In January 2017, he was convicted of three counts of first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder. The court handed down a sentence of three consecutive life terms in prison, plus an additional 48 years, ensuring that the man responsible for the deaths of Johnny Gutierrez and the other victims would spend the remainder of his life behind bars.
