David Chance
October 30, 2007
Pueblo, Colorado
Denver Post
October 30, 2007
Pueblo cabbie shot dead; 2 flee scene
By Kieran Nicholson
A Pueblo cab driver was shot dead early this morning, and two men were seen running from his cab, police said.
The shooting happened at about 1:35 a.m. in the 1500 block of 11th Street, Pueblo police said in a press release. Police identified the victim as 51-year-old David Chance, a driver for City Cab.
Witnesses told investigators they saw two men running from the cab after the shooting.
The investigation is ongoing, and no suspects have been taken into custody, said police Sgt. Elias Manzanares.
There have not been any recent shooting deaths of cab drivers in Pueblo, Manzanares said.
Anyone with information on the shooting is asked to call Detective Don Litton at 719-553-2533 or Crime Stoppers at 719-542-7867.
Kieran Nicholson: 303-954-1822 or knicholson@denverpost.com
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KOAA-TV
Taxi cab driver shot and killed in Pueblo
Less than 6 hours after police responded to a fatal shooting in Pueblo on the city's south side, another murder happened on the city's east side. Pueblo police say around 1:20 a.m a neighbor heard a loud noise in the 1500 block of E. 11th St. Police say taxi cab driver David A. Chance, 51, was shot and killed inside his cab. Chance was shot in the head and died at the scene.
Police say Chance picked up a customer at the O'Neal apartments and dropped that person off at 1523 E. 11th St, where the shooting happened.
Police say a neighbor saw two men running away from the scene after the shooting. Police are still searching for suspects.
Posted By: David Ortiviz (Updated: 10/30/2007 9:14:51 AM)
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Pueblo mom, cabbie slain in unrelated shootings
By Kieran Nicholson
The Denver Post
Article Last Updated: 10/31/2007 01:38:37 AM MDT
Pueblo police are hunting for two suspects in connection with the shooting death of a 51-year-old cab driver early Tuesday, and have arrested a man in the death of his 86-year-old mother, who was shot outside her home late Monday.
The two homicides are unrelated.
Co-workers of the cab driver described the victim as a polite, hard-working cabbie.
The shooting happened about 1:35 a.m. Tuesday in the 1500 block of East 11th Street, Pueblo police said.
Police identified the victim as 51-year-old David Chance, a driver for City Cab.
"He was just a real nice guy and I can't see any reason as to why this would happen," said Glen Nading, a dispatcher with City Cab.
Witnesses told investigators they saw two men running from the cab after the shooting.
The investigation is ongoing and no suspects have been taken into custody, said police Sgt. Elias Manzanares.
Chance was originally from Michigan and had been working at the cab company for four years, Nading said.
Nading said Chance is survived by a wife and two children.
Contributions to the David Chance Memorial Fund can be made at any US Bank branch in Colorado.
Meanwhile, police were holding the son of an elderly Pueblo woman for investigation of homicide, authorities said.
The body of Mary L. Avery was found at 8:14 p.m. Monday in front of 1903 Lakeview, Manzanares said.
Avery's 42-year-old son, Landon Avery, was arrested at the scene.
Kieran Nicholson: 303-954-1822 or knicholson@denverpost.com
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The Pueblo Chieftain Online
October 31, 2007
Police continue search in cabby slaying
CHIEFTAIN PHOTO/JOHN JAQUES
Photo caption: Pueblo crime scene Detective Nikki Thomas (left), investigation intern Nikki Alarid and an unidentified Pueblo police officer, work the murder scene in a lot near the corner of East 11th Street and Ogden Avenue.
By NICK BONHAM
THE PUEBLO CHIEFTAIN
Pueblo police on Tuesday were busy investigating two unrelated homicides, one which netted an arrest and the other that had officers on the hunt for two suspects.
Detectives were investigating the death of 51-year-old taxi driver David Chance, who was shot in the head after dropping off two customers at 1525 E. 11th St.
Witnesses said they saw two males between the ages of 17 and 21 run from the scene. The suspects ran east on 11th Street and south on Ogden Avenue. Officer Daniel Pratt said the cab's right rear passenger door was left open.
The suspects wore dark-colored hooded sweatshirts and white T-shirts. Police reports indicate the suspects were picked up from apartments in the 4000 block of O'Neal Avenue, where investigators recovered beer cans and phone cards from a telephone booth.
The address Chance was killed at was "the address the cab was called to go to," said Sgt. Eli Manzanares of the Pueblo Police Department's investigation unit. "That was the address he was to deliver his fare."
According to Pueblo County Coroner James Kramer, Chance was pronounced dead at the scene at 1:36 a.m.
Manzanares wouldn't say if Chance had been robbed or if anything was missing from the cab. Manzanares also wouldn't discuss their evidence, but a police report said possible shotgun wadding was recovered at the scene.
Anyone with information about the case can make an anonymous call to Crime Stoppers, 542-7867, or can call Detective Don Litton at 553-2533.
Chance had worked about four years for City Cab, according to a company spokesman.
The David Chance Memorial Fund has been set up to help the family with funeral costs. Donations may be made at all U.S. Bank locations.
According to Pueblo Chieftain archives, a man was given the death penalty for killing a part-time City Cab driver in March 1960.
John Bizup Jr., 26, was executed after confessing to the robbery-slaying of 24-year-old Roy D. Bussey (Bussey was robbed of $22).
In August 1964, Bizup died in a gas chamber at Colorado State Penitentiary in Canon City.
Police do not anticipate further arrests in the death of 86-year-old Mary Lynn Avery, who died from multiple trauma at 8:45 p.m. Monday at St. Mary-Corwin Medical Center.
Kramer said her exact cause of death is pending results of an autopsy.
Avery allegedly was shot and stabbed by her 42-year-old son, Landon L. Avery, who was booked into Pueblo County jail on suspicion of first-degree murder.
According to police, Landon Avery shot and stabbed his mother at 8:15 p.m. Monday in front of their home at 1903 Lakeview Ave.
A dark-colored vehicle was seen leaving the area at a high rate of speed at the time of the incident, but "We don't know if that's coincidental," Manzanares said. "As of right now we have no other suspects,"
Landon Avery was arrested in the backyard, where officer Kimberly Polk found him kneeling on the ground, looking upward and moaning. According to Polk, the suspect had a .357-caliber revolver between his legs and possibly contemplated suicide.
Avery was arrested without incident.
According to an affidavit by Detective Mark Bravo, Avery continually repeated: "They're going to (expletive) lock me up for this."
Police found three spent bullet casings in the revolver. The suspect requested a lawyer and was not interviewed by investigators.
Neighbors told police Avery was known to mistreat and yell at his mother. One neighbor told Polk that Avery had recently called them saying he was in trouble with a drug dealer and was being threatened.
The deaths of Mary Avery and Chance are Pueblo's sixth and seventh homicides of the year.
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November 1, 2007
Cabby likely slain for a $17 fare
By NICK BONHAM
THE PUEBLO CHIEFTAIN
In the world of taxi drivers, a "skip" is when a passenger steals a ride, or leaves without paying the fare.
Cabdriver David Chance was skipped for more than money early Tuesday.
The 51-year-old father of three and grandfather of two was shot in the head, possibly with a shotgun, after dropping off two customers on the East Side.
"This is what we call a skip gone bad," George Kirby, Chance's boss at City Cab, said Wednesday. "It was a botched skip. We haul the good, the bad and the ugly. Almost everyone in Pueblo's great. I love the people of Pueblo, but this was premeditated, cold-blooded murder."
The cost of his last fare?
"The meter read $17," Kirby said.
Pueblo police continued investigating Chance's death Wednesday without making any arrests.
Detective Don Litton, lead investigator in the case, said: "We've got a couple people of interest in this case, but I can't go into that right now."
He said the investigation is still centering on two male suspects, ages 17 to 21, that were seen leaving the cab at the time of the incident. Nothing has been reported missing from the cab. The suspects were picked up from the 4000 block of O'Neal Avenue.
Chance was pronounced dead at 1:36 a.m., in his taxi parked in the driveway of 1525 E. 11th St.
Litton said the resident there didn't know why anyone would've gone to his home at that hour.
"Did (the suspects) just pull that address out of a hat? It's one of those unanswered questions," he said.
Anyone with information about the case can call Crime Stoppers, 542-7867, or Litton at 553-2533.
The David Chance Memorial Fund has been set up at all U.S. Bank locations to help Chance's family and for funeral costs.
Chance had worked full-time for City Cab since September 2004. His co-workers described him as polite, dependable, a good driver and a solid employee.
"It's a very sad and unfortunate time for City Cab," Kirby said, who's co-owned the company for more than 30 years. "I'll certainly miss Dave and so will the cab company."
Patricia Hill, family spokeswoman, said Chance's wife of 23 years, Darla, and the rest of the family are still in shock and taking the loss in stride.
"It's such a shame that it was okay to take someone's husband, somebody's father, somebody's son," Hill said. "I can't comprehend it. It's so stupid, heartless and cruel to do that. They just had to run, they didn't have to shoot him.
"(Chance) loved his family, his wife and his children. Life was a struggle and he was trying - trying to make the best of things out of the hand he was dealt. Of all the things he did best, his children were the best things he left behind."
A cabdriver transports a variety of colorful passengers - sober, drunk, sad, happy, obnoxious - which makes an interesting and dangerous occupation.
"I've had drivers tell me 'It's the best job I've had. You meet someone different every 15 minutes,' " Kirby said. "But I tell my drivers - every customer you haul can be a potentially dangerous person."
Cab No. 3, Chance's cab, will be retired in his memory.
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Fox 31 News
Taxicab Driver Death Centering on 2 Men
Thursday, 01 Nov 2007
PUEBLO - A Pueblo taxicab company says a driver who was shot to death in his cab was owed a $17 fare.
Fifty-one-year-old David Chance was found inside his cab with a gunshot wound in his head early Tuesday.
Police Detective Don Litton says the investigation is centering on two men, ages 17 and 21. He says he can't divulge any details.
Nothing appeared to be missing from Chance's cab.
He had three children and two grandchildren. A memorial fund has been set up to help his family and pay for his funeral.
http://www.myfoxcolorado.com
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The Pueblo Chieftan
Pueblo, Colorado
November 2, 2007
Police continue hunt for cabdriver killers
By GAYLE PEREZ
THE PUEBLO CHIEFTAIN
Pueblo police were still searching Thursday for suspects - and possible accomplices, the first public mention of more than two people involved - to the early Tuesday morning slaying of a City Cab driver.
Detective Don Litton said Thursday police have made no arrests in connection with the shooting death of 51-year-old David Chance, 51, who was found dead in his cab after dropping off two customers at an East Side home.
Pueblo County Coroner James Kramer confirmed Thursday that Chance died as a result of a gunshot wound to the head.
"We have some good evidence and information coming in constantly," Litton said. "Whoever did this wasn't careful. They left a good trail."
Litton said the investigation has been centering on two males, between the ages of 17 and 21, who were seen leaving the cab at the time of the incident.
The suspects were picked up by Chance in the 4000 block of O'Neil Avenue on the South Side and were taken to a home at 1525 E. 11th St.
It was in front of that address that police found Chance shot to death in his cab at about 1:36 a.m. Tuesday.
Police believe that Chance was shot after the suspects failed to pay the $17 fare.
Litton said although information is coming in on the case, he urged anyone who may have seen anything suspicious or unusual in the early morning hours of Tuesday to contact police.
"We're asking that anybody who saw these people running through the neighborhoods or anyone who may have gotten a good look at them, any suspicious vehicles they saw in the area, please call the police," Litton said.
Litton said although the investigation is focusing on the two individuals who took the cab ride, he said police are certain there are others involved.
"Based on the evidence, it's looking like there are several more people involved as accomplices," he said.
Litton said police have not recovered a weapon.
In an unrelated homicide on Monday night, police are still piecing together information on a possible motive in the shotgun slaying and stabbing of 86-year-old Mary Ann Avery.
According to police reports, the victim's son 42-year-old Landon Avery was arrested Monday night in connection with the death of Mary Ann Avery, who was found shot in front of her home at 1903 Lakeview Ave. Kramer said Thursday that an autopsy results indicate that Mary Ann Avery died as a result of a gunshot wound to the head.
Sgt. Elias Manzanares also said Thursday that police were still interviewing individuals, including family members in an effort to determine a possible motive for the shooting.
According to police, Avery was arrested in the backyard of the home he shared with his elderly mother. He had a .357-caliber revolver between his legs.
A neighbor told police that Avery had said he was in trouble with a drug dealer and had been threatened.
Avery remained in Pueblo County jail on suspicion of first-degree murder. He has a court appearance set for Monday.
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Suspect Maximo Daniel Ramos
Suspect Bridget Ann Terrones
Pueblo Chieftan
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Arrests made in cab driver slaying
More arrests could result as the investigation continues, Pueblo police say.
By NICK BONHAM
THE PUEBLO CHIEFTAIN
Three teenagers, two of whom are brother and sister, have been arrested in connection to the Oct. 30 shotgun slaying of a Pueblo cab driver.
Maximo Daniel Ramos, 19, and 16-year-old Raymond Guy Terrones each were re-arrested Friday on a warrant for first-degree murder.
Ramos and Terrones initially were arrested later in the day of the homicide on separate unrelated charges and have been in custody ever since. Both were being held Saturday in lieu of $1 million bail.
On Saturday at her job, Pueblo police arrested Terrones' sister, 19-year-old Bridget Ann Terrones, on a warrant for accessory to the crime of first-degree murder. She was being held in jail in lieu of $500,000 bail.
Pueblo Deputy Police Chief John Ercul and Capt. John Barger said additional arrests could come as the investigation continues.
"We do have evidence that other people are involved," Ercul said.
Affidavits in the case have been sealed until the investigation is completed, according to investigators and District Attorney Bill Thiebaut.
Asked about whether the juvenile will be charged as an adult, Thiebaut said: "All options are available depending on the outcome of evidence."
Barger said detectives have not found the homicide weapon, described as a short shotgun, that was used to kill 51-year-old City Cab driver David Chance.
Chance was shot in the back of the head about 1:30 a.m. in the driveway of an East Side home, where Ramos' father lives.
Before the shooting, Chance picked up Ramos and Raymond Terrones at apartments in the 4000 block of O'Neal Avenue, according to police.
Investigators and the victim's co-workers say possible motives might have been attempted robbery or the suspects' unwillingness to pay the fare, which was $17.
Investigators declined to identify who is the suspected shooter. In Colorado, a person who accompanies the suspected killer can be charged with first-degree murder when a slaying occurs during a robbery.
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KOAA-TV
KOAA.com
Police say more arrests likely in murder of cab driver
The Pueblo Police Department says more arrests are likely in the murder of a taxi cab driver on the eve of Halloween. Police already arrested Maximo Ramos, 19, and a 16-year old boy. They both face a first degree murder charge. On Saturday, police arrested Ramos' sister Bridget Terrones, 19, as an accessory to murder. "We believe we have a pretty good case on the people that we have in custody and we do anticipate some additional arrests as time goes on," said Deputy Chief John Ercul.
Investigators say they believe there are other people directly involved in the murder, as well as other accessories.
Cab driver David Chance, 51, was found shot to death inside his cab on E. 11th St. on October 30.
The arrest affidavits have been sealed until the investigation is complete.
Posted By: David Ortiviz (Updated: 11/12/2007 4:14:56 PM)
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Suspect Matthew Koncilja
Suspect Olin Ferrier
The Chieftan
November 14, 2007
Two more arrested in cabby's death
The Pueblo Chieftain Online
Olin Ferrier
Matthew Koncilja
By PATRICK MALONE
THE PUEBLO CHIEFTAIN
Police arrested two more suspects Tuesday in connection with the Oct. 30 shooting death of a Pueblo cabbie. One of the suspects nabbed Tuesday is the grandson of the district attorney's chief investigator.
Olin Ferrier, 21, and Matthew J. Koncilja, 24, were booked at county jail on warrants for first-degree murder related to the death of 51-year-old David Chance. Koncilja's grandfather, John Koncilja Jr., is the chief investigator under District Attorney Bill Thiebaut.
Thiebaut said his office will seek a prosecutor from an outside jurisdiction to handle the case because of the conflict of interest.
“Obviously, this is a critical case to our community and to our office,’ Thiebaut said. “We learned of Mr. Koncilja's alleged involvement (Tuesday). At that moment, we began undertaking steps to have a special prosecutor enter the case at the proper time. Ethical considerations demand that we do so. We have no choice. We are approaching the situation carefully, working to secure a highly competent special prosecutor who will handle the case in as sterling a fashion as our office would.’
The arrests of Ferrier and Koncilja were the fourth and fifth related to the slaying of Chance. Last week police arrested 19-year-old Maximo Daniel Ramos and 16-year-old Raymond Guy Terrones on first-degree murder charges in connection with the shooting that killed Chance. Terrones' sister, 19-year-old Bridget Ann Terrones was booked on suspicion of being an accessory to the murder after the fact.
Pueblo Deputy Police Chief John Ercul said at least one more person suspected of direct involvement in the crime and one more suspected accessory could be arrested in the days ahead. Ercul said the accessories are suspected of hiding evidence and harboring suspects.
Police have not publicly identified the suspected shooter.
Chance died from a single shotgun blast to the back of the head. He was found dead at 1:30 a.m. inside his cab in the driveway of Ramos' father's home on the city's East Side. He reportedly picked up two fares from a South Side apartment complex and drove them to the location where he was found dead.
Police are eyeing robbery as a possible motive.
“We think there were two people in the cab, and probably three others in another vehicle, a getaway car, laying back in the bushes,’ Ercul said.
Bridget Terrones is being held at county jail in lieu of $500,000 bail. Each of the other suspects is in jail with bail set at $1 million.
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KOAA
November 16, 2007
Police say armed robbery escalated into murder of cab driver
Police say the shooting death of a taxi cab driver on October 30, was an armed robbery that escalated to murder. Pueblo police believe the five suspects conspired to lure a cab driver from a south side apartment to a house on E. 11th St. so they could rob him at gunpoint. "They knew they were committing an armed robbery where they were placing people in danger with a weapon," said Deputy Chief John Ercul.
Detectives say it was a premeditated crime that police say escalated to the murder of David Chance, 51, a cab driver. "You have a person that was just doing his job, has no ties to the suspects and yet he's placed in danger because he's carrying some money," said Ercul. The cab meter showed a $17 unpaid fare, but police are still trying to figure out if any money was stolen.
Chance died from a gunshot wound to the head.
"We believe we now have all of the key players of the murder," said Ercul. Maximo Ramos, Olin Ferrier, Matthew Koncilja and two un-named juveniles ages 16 and 17 have been arrested for first degree murder. Police say all of them were at or near the crime scene when the shooting happened. Also, Ramos' sister, Bridget Terrones was arrested as an accessory to the murder. "Obviously in this case it was one person who pulled the trigger on the weapon," said Ercul. But in Colorado, conspiring to commit a crime that leads to murder means "all of the participants of that crime can be held accountable for that death," said Ercul.
Now police are trying to positively identify the trigger man. Police won't talk about their theories until forensic testing is finished. "At that point and time we'll be able to announce exactly how this crime went down and who did what," said Ercul.
Because Matthew Koncilja is the grandson of a high ranking member of the Pueblo District Attorney's office, a special prosecutor from another agency will be appointed to handle the case.
Posted By: David Ortiviz (Updated: 11/16/2007 5:27:09 PM)
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Another arrest in cab driver´s slaying
THE GAZETTE AND NEWS SERVICES
November 17, 2007 - 12:02AM
Pueblo police have arrested a sixth person in connection with the Oct. 30 death of a cab driver.
Police announced late Thursday that a 17-year-old was arrested on suspicion of first-degree murder. His name was not released because he faces a juvenile charge, said Pueblo police Sgt. Elias Manzanares.
Cab driver David Chance, 51, was shot to death in his cab about 1:30 a.m. Oct. 30. Police have said it was a robbery that went bad. He was owed $17 in cab fare.
Those previously arrested were Olin Ferrier, 21; Matthew Koncilja, 24; Maximo Ramos, 19, and a 16-year-old boy, whose name wasn´t released because he´s a juvenile. Bridget Terrones, 19, was arrested on suspicion of being an accessory to first-degree murder.
Before he was shot, Chance had dropped off two of the suspects at 1125 E. 11th St., according to police.
Manzaneres would not comment on the 17-year-old´s alleged role in the killing. He said there could be more arrests.
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Rocky Mountain news
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Soldier among those arrested after cabbie's death
Associated Press
A Fort Carson soldier is among six people arrested in connection with the slaying of a Pueblo cab driver in October.
Spc. Olin Ferrier, 22, was being held at the Pueblo County jail on bail of $1 million.
An arrest affidavit links him to the death of cab driver David Chance, who was shot in the head Oct. 30. A $17 cab fare was unpaid, the affidavit said.
In the affidavit, police accused Ferrier and four others in a scheme in which the suspects were believed to have robbed a man of his mobile phone, used the stolen phone to call a cab, and then killed the cab driver for cash because "they needed money to party."
The affidavit said Ferrier carried a "short rifle" the night of the killing but that Ferrier denied involvement in the slaying when he spoke to police days after Chance's death.
Fort Carson officials said Ferrier, of Atlantic City, N.J., is a supply clerk with the 3rd Brigade Combat Team. He served a year in Iraq, ending in November 2006, and has received awards including the Army Achievement Medal, Army Commendation Medal and Combat Action Badge.
His unit returned to Iraq late last month without him. The affidavit says he lives in Pueblo.
The cab was headed to an address where the father of one of the suspects lives, the affidavit said. Maximo Ramos, 19, and his 16-year-old half brother, Raymond Guy Terrones, were arrested on other warrants but were later linked to the killing. Ramos has denied involvement.
Police also arrested Daniel John Montoya, 17, on suspicion of murder. He and Terrones were charged as adults.
Terrones sister Bridget Ann Terrones, 19, faces a charge of being an accessory.
The grandfather of another suspect, Matthew John Koncilja, 24, told investigators his grandson matched the description of one of the suspects. Koncilja's grandfather is chief investigator for the district attorney's office in Pueblo.
Investigators suspect that the group panicked when Chance resisted the robbery and shot him before fleeing without his wallet.
The 4th Judicial District Attorney's Office is prosecuting the case because of the work of Koncilja's grandfather for the district attorney in Pueblo.
The legal representation for the suspects was not immediately clear.
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KKTH
Dec 20, 2007
New Details On Pueblo Cab Driver Death Investigation
Reporter: Danielle Saar
Email Address: dsaar@kktv11news.com
A Fort Carson soldier has been named as a suspect in the October shooting death of a Pueblo taxi driver.
One-hundred seventy dollars. That's the amount of money David Chance was carrying when he was fatally shot in his cab on October 30th.
Police believe the five suspects were just trying to rob Chance, but they panicked after shooting him, and ran off without his wallet.
The suspected shooter is 22-year-old Fort Carson solider Olin Ferrier.
The suspected getaway driver is the grandson of Pueblo's District Attorney's chief investigator, 24-year old Matthew John Koncilja.
The other suspects are 19-year-old Maximo Ramos, 16-year-old Raymond Terrones, and 17-year-old Daniel Montoya.
Because of Koncilja's connection to the D.A.'s office in Pueblo, the El Paso county D.A.'s office will prosecute the cases.
The other suspects are being held at the Pueblo County Detention Center.
"They were probably destined for prison. Too bad Dave happened to step in their path," says fellow cab driver, Ron Hopkins.
A preliminary hearing is set for March 6th. Fellow cab drivers who worked with Chance say they plan to attend.
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Pueblo Chieftan
Thursday December 20, 2007
Police reveal details in cabby slaying
By PATRICK MALONE
THE PUEBLO CHIEFTAIN
Police suspect the recent shooting death of a taxi driver was the culmination of a nightlong crime spree intended to cop drug money.
The suspects failed, according to arrest affidavits made public on Wednesday.
When 52-year-old cabby David Chance was found slumped over dead in the driver's seat of his taxi at 1:30 a.m. on Oct. 30, he had about $170 in his pocket. Witnesses told police the suspects returned after killing Chance to recover the money, but didn't follow through with the theft because of the mess they'd left behind.
“We feel the plan was to rob the (cab) driver and have a car there to pick (the suspects) up afterwards,’ Pueblo Police Detective Don Litton surmised in an arrest affidavit that previously had been sealed by court order.
So far five suspects are in custody facing first-degree murder charges for Chance's death. They are suspected shooter 22-year-old Fort Carson soldier Olin “Famous’ Ferrier; suspected getaway driver Matthew John Koncilja, 24; Maximo Daniel Ramos, 19; his half-brother Raymond Guy Terrones, 16; and 17-year-old Daniel John Montoya.
Terrones and Montoya have been charged as adults. Terrones' sister, Bridget Ann Terrones, 19, faces a charge of accessory to murder for allegedly harboring suspects and helping to dispose of evidence.
At 10:30 p.m. on the night leading up to the shooting, a 24-year-old man reported he had been robbed of his cellular phone in an alley near Fourth Street and Fountain Avenue. Police later linked the stolen phone to a call that summoned Chance's cab to the Oasis Apartments, 4001 O'Neal Ave., right before he was shot.
City Cab records showed that Chance picked up two fares at the O'Neal address. They were bound for an address familiar to the cab company, 1525 E. 11th St. That's where Ramos' estranged father lived at the time. He commonly called cabs for rides to and from the Pixie Inn. In fact, when the cab company's dispatcher fielded the ill-fated call on the night Chance died, he presumed it to be Ramos' father, who was affectionately known at the cab company as “Mr. Pixie.’
The elder Ramos was not the fare that night. He became involved when he called police to report a suspicious vehicle in his driveway. It turned out to be the cab that contained Chance's dead body.
Ramos' father was the first to steer police toward the suspects they eventually arrested. He suggested police round up his son for questioning. Apparently the father and son hadn't spoken for quite a while at that point.
Maximo Ramos' fingerprint was found on the roof of the cab.
Further investigation with the cab company revealed that a teenage boy had twice beaten cabbies for fares in the last year during stops made at the 11th Street address. The cheapskate teen had distinctive tattoos of two eyeballs on the back of his head, so it wasn't hard for police to determine Raymond Terrones' possible link to the crime.
Ramos and Raymond Terrones both were arrested on the afternoon following the shooting. They were booked on unrelated warrants while the investigation progressed.
At an acquaintance's house, police recovered clothing reportedly worn by the pair on the night of the shooting. It had been laundered but still contained blood and brain matter from the shooting, according to an affidavit.
Koncilja was arrested Nov. 13, when his grandfather, District Attorney's Chief Investigator John Koncilja, recognized that his grandson's physical description and car matched witness statements about the night of the crime.
Matthew Koncilja told investigators that the cell phone was stolen earlier in the night with the intention of using a cell phone untraceable to the suspects to start the cab robbery in motion.
Koncilja and the other suspects reportedly waited nearby the 11th Street address to pick up Ramos and Ferrier after the robbery, but it went wrong.
In his affidavit detailing the investigation, Litton explained investigators' theory about the crime.
“If someone is merely attempting to get a free ride from a taxicab, they would simply bail out when they arrived to the location they wanted to go,’ Litton wrote. “(Police) believe the suspects were attempting to rob the driver at gunpoint and he was resisting. The suspects were not planning on shooting the driver and they panicked afterwards and ran without taking his wallet. Also, because of the cellular telephone records, we know that phone calls were being placed back and forth (between the suspected conspirators) during the time the suspects were in the taxicab. There is also the matter of the suspicious dark colored car that drove up to the scene just moments after the shooting. This shows that someone had either been following them or they were called and told what happened.’
Because of Koncilja's familial connection to the district attorney's office in Pueblo, the El Paso County district attorney's office will prosecute each of the cases. To date, only Bridget Terrones has made bail. Each of the other suspects is being held at the Pueblo County Detention Center.
A preliminary hearing in the case is set for March 6.
This news digest is for informative purposes only. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107 and The Berne Convention on Literary and Artistic Works, Article 10, news clippings on this site are made available without profit for research and education.
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