On Friday May 14, 2021, a Jefferson County jury found Christopher Michael Pride (DOB 11/2/89), guilty of the murder of 21-year-old Roderick Vecchiarelli, and not guilty of the attempted murder of 49-year-old Angela Saiz-Ortiz in Lakewood on June 17, 2019.
The jury convicted Pride of First Degree Murder – Felony Murder (F1), four counts of Aggravated Robbery (F3), and four counts of Conspiracy to Commit Aggravated Robbery (F4). The jury found Pride not guilty of First Degree Murder – After Deliberation (F1), Attempted First Degree Murder (F2) and Assault in the First Degree (F3).
On June 17, 2019 Lakewood Police were called to 1550 Depew St. lot 6W, on a report that a male and female had been shot. Roderick Vecchiarelli, 21, sustained multiple gunshot wounds and subsequently died from his injuries. Angela Saiz-Ortiz, 49, was shot multiple times in her legs but survived. The evidence in the case showed that Roderick Vecchiarelli and Angela Saiz-Ortiz were robbed before they were shot. Immediately after shots were fired, witnesses reported a suspect vehicle leaving the scene at a high rate of speed.
Shortly after, in nearby Edgewater, officers were investigating a traffic accident with a vehicle matching the suspect vehicle. The male driver was identified as Danny Carter (DOB 5/14/83) and the female passenger was Michelle Lee Prissel (DOB 8/29/83).
The investigation revealed there were two additional passengers in the car that fled the scene, both are believed to have fired the shots. One of the males, identified through cell phone records and surveillance footage, was Christopher Pride. Pride was arrested in Colorado Springs on July 18, 2019. Pride was on federal probation and supervised probation at the time of the murder.
After a two-week jury trial, jurors deliberated for over 2 days before returning their verdicts.
Codefendant Keshun Bastian (DOB 8/28/01) previously pleaded guilty to Second Degree Murder (F2), First Degree Assault (F3) and two counts of Aggravated Robbery (F3). He was sentenced to a 45-year prison sentence on March 16, 2021.
Christopher Pride has a lengthy criminal history with prior arrests for assault, robbery, motor vehicle theft, dangerous drugs, and multiple weapons violations. He will be sentenced on June 29, 2021 at 9:00am and is expected to receive life in prison.