In the spring of 2014, the life of 18-year-old Mario Gendoes was tragically cut short. On the evening of May 6th, he was found shot to death in the 600 block of Portland Avenue in Pueblo, Colorado. His sudden and violent death left his family and loved ones reeling, initiating a period of uncertainty and a yearning for justice as the months passed without any arrests. His mother, Theresa Saldana, later described the agonizing wait, a time when her world felt like it had stopped, consumed by panic and the feeling that she had failed to protect her son.
For nearly a year, the investigation into the young man's murder continued. Then, in late March of 2015, a breakthrough occurred. Pueblo Police announced the arrests of two men, 31-year-old Anthony Montoya and 50-year-old James Montoya. The two were taken into custody in the 2600 block of Oakland Avenue and both faced first-degree murder charges in connection with Mario's death. The arrests were not without further incident; the suspects were also implicated in another shooting that occurred on the same day they were apprehended, which resulted in a man being wounded in the leg.
The news of the arrests brought a complicated wave of emotions for those who knew Mario. His mother revealed that she had suspected the two men were involved all along. Mario's girlfriend at the time, Felecita Montoya, also knew the accused and expressed the pain of knowing someone familiar had taken his life. She recounted that Mario had been on his way to her house to talk after they had a fight, but he never arrived. Both women, bound by the impending court case, could not elaborate on the specific relationship between Mario and the suspects but were united in their hope for justice for a life taken too soon.
