Grand Junction Daily Sentinel Crime Watch 03/13/2024
Crime Watch report
The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel
By SAM KLOMHAUS Sam.Klomhaus@gjsentinel.com
March 13, 2024
A woman who was involved in the shooting death of her ex-husband in November 2022 has been sentenced to 18 years in the Department of Corrections.
Jessica Terry, 31, who was arrested after the shooting death of Lucas Terry at a camper on 22 Road, pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree burglary. Charges of felony murder, aggravated robbery, first-degree burglary and tampering with evidence were dropped.
Witnesses said Lucas Terry was shot in the chest during a confrontation with Jeff Brewer, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit second-degree murder and conspiracy to commit burglary, and was sentenced to 35 years in the Department of Corrections in August 2023.
Jessica Terry was present during the incident, having arrived at the camper with Brewer, according to the arrest affidavit. She told police she drove Brewer and another man, Caleb Jones, to the camper.
Jones was later sentenced to 14 years in prison for his role in the incident.
DRUG TRAFFICKERS SENTENCED
A man involved in a bust by the Western Colorado Drug Task Force in May 2023 that yielded more than 100,000 fentanyl pills and 75 pounds of methamphetamine has been sentenced to 25 years in the Department of Corrections.
Ramon Cesena-Valdez, 25, was arrested after a traffic stop for speeding in De Beque Canyon and found with a large amount of drugs, according to the arrest affidavit. He pleaded guilty to possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute.
Another man, 27-year-old Raul Lopez-Lizarraga, was arrested in Grand Junction the same night. Search warrants executed on the vacation rentals the men were using yielded approximately 7,000 fentanyl pills and 40 grams of methamphetamine as part of the same operation, according to police.
Lopez-Lizarraga pleaded guilty to possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute and received a 10-year sentence in the Department of Corrections.
Police said an operation that started with the arrests of Cesena-Valdez and Lopez-Lizarraga broke up a suspected drug ring with a total of 116 felony indictments and multiple arrests in Jefferson County.
Investigators used wiretaps and undercover operatives to develop information on illegal narcotics transactions and other criminal behavior that eventually led to the arrests of Cesena-Valdez and Lopez-Lizarraga.
As part of the investigation, the Western Colorado Drug Task Force worked closely with the West Metro Drug Task Force, providing them with information that was used to ultimately execute another search warrant on the Front Range.
In total, a grand jury returned indictments against 16 individuals for charges ranging from drug possession and distribution to vehicle theft to kidnapping.
