Brian Armando Diaz Montellano, Carjacking, Colorado 2022

Two suspects in a brazen carjacking incident that left their victims shaken have been handed harsh sentences. Brian Armando Diaz Montellano, 29, and co-defendant Alexis Michele Ruder-Iturrino, 27, were sentenced to 14 and 11 years in prison, respectively, for their roles in the crime.

The incident occurred on June 19, 2022, when Diaz Montellano and Ruder-Iturrino were driving a stolen Dodge truck at speeds of approximately 100 miles per hour. After fleeing from law enforcement, they forced a 2022 Subaru Cross Trek to stop, then demanded the two occupants get out of the car at gunpoint. Ruder-Iturrino held an AR-15 rifle, pointed it at the victims, and fired a round into the ground before they stole the Subaru and drove away.

‘The defendants terrorized their carjacking victims, making them afraid for their lives,’ said U.S. Attorney Cole Finegan. ‘Based on their conduct, they will each have more than ten years in federal prison to consider their actions.’

United States District Court Judge Raymond P. Moore pronounced the sentences for both defendants on April 17, 2023. The case was investigated by the FBI Denver Rocky Mountain Safe Streets Task Force, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, and the Denver Police Department.

The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Brian Dunn. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announced the sentencing, saying that the defendants’ actions ‘terrorized’ their victims and that they will ‘each have more than ten years in federal prison to consider their actions.’

This case highlights the need for community-based programs to prevent violence and reduce crime. The PSN program has been working to strengthen trust and legitimacy in communities, support organizations that prevent violence, and set focused enforcement priorities.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado is committed to reducing violent crime and making our neighborhoods safer for everyone.

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