WESTMINSTER, Colo. — Westminster police have identified and charged the man accused of holding his girlfriend against her will in a car, driving from police and crashing the vehicle, killing the woman.
Police said the suspect has been identified as Jimmy Lee Cordova, 27.
On June 9, police responded to a 911 call from a woman who said she was involved in a domestic violence situation. She said she was assaulted and was being held against her will in a car driving in the area of 104th Avenue and Federal Boulevard.
When officers located the car, the driver, Cordova, drove away, police said. Police pursued the car and lost sight of it near 84th Avenue and Federal Boulevard. A few minutes later, police responded to the scene of a car crash — involving the same car they were pursuing — near the onramp to westbound Highway 36 from Federal Boulevard.
The vehicle was found upside down and engulfed in flames, police said.
The woman died in the crash.
Cordova carjacked a second vehicle and fled from police before crashing once again near 91st Avenue and Sheridan Boulevard, police said. He ran from the car and after attempting to carjack other vehicles in the area, was arrested about a block from the second crash. He was combative with officers during the arrest, according to police.
Cordova was transported to a hospital for his injuries.
Police said he is being charged with first-degree murder, second-degree kidnapping, false imprisonment, robbery, domestic violence and assault in the third degree, aggravated motor vehicle theft, driving a vehicle under the influence of drugs, criminal attempt to commit a class five or six felony, obstructing a police officer, resisting arrest, vehicular homicide/DUI resulting in death, vehicular eluding resulting in death to another, vehicular homicide/reckless driving resulting in death, obstruction of telephone, driving a vehicle with a revoked license, failure to remain at the scene of an accident with a death/hit and run, failure to notify police of a hit and run and failure to remain or return to the scene of a hit and run.