The young woman whose anger at a rival group of girls resulted in the shootings of two innocent children received the minimum 10 years in prison today.
Terra Ramirez, 20, had called Andreas “Andy” Rubio and his girlfriend, Natalie McFarlane, also 20, after Ramirez got into a confrontation while cruising. Ramirez asked them to shoot up the house of one of the girls in the other car.
Rubio walked down the 100 block of Osceola Street, failing to hit the intended target but spraying bullets into two other homes. A bullet tore into the bedroom where sisters Celine Venzor, 7, and Kenia Venzor, 13, were sleeping. It sliced through Kenia’s left arm and her right breast and out the back of her right hand. Then it hit Celine in the side and exited her back. Both survived the August, 2005 shooting.
Prosecutor David Karpel told Denver District Judge Christina Habas that it was Ramirez who “set everything in motion by asking for a drive-by shooting.”
Habas, who imposed the sentence for first-degree assault, said that she was giving the minimum because of Ramirez’ cooperation after the shooting. Ramirez testified against Rubio, despite threats from him in which he called her a “little snitch,” and would make sure she was beaten.
Rubio received a sentence of 180 years in prison when he was sentenced in August.
Ramirez expressed remorse, saying she too had once been the victim of a drive-by shooting and knew what it was like.
The Venzor family told the judge that the ordeal had made them stronger and that it was up to God to forgive Ramirez.
Michelle Venzor, the mother of the two girls, expressed deep anger toward Ramirez today, saying she had been deeply affected by “this one night of wrong decisions” that almost cost her two daughters lives.
“I am very angry with Terra for the simple fact that she could have made better choices being a victim herself and she chose to do wrong,” Michelle Venzor told the judge. “Coming from a mother, I want Terra to know that I will have you in my prayers and ask God for the strength to forgive you one day.”
Kenia told the judge that she has been a strong person all her life but the experience of being shot has made “me become a better person.
“I have pushed myself so far into making myself a better person for my siblings, my parents, and for my teachers. I have been struggling to do it to prove to my parents and myself that I will overcome this tragedy.”
And Celine told the judge and Ramirez she was mystified by why she became a victim.
“You (Ramirez) shouldn’t have done that in the first place because it can hurt more than the person that you’re trying to scare,” she told Habas. “My sister and I have experienced now how it feels like to be in pain.”
Celine added that she was happy, yet a little sad, that Ramirez will go to prison.
Ramirez was originally charged with six counts of attempted extreme indifference murder and two counts of extreme indifference first-degree assault.
Karpel said that he agreed to a plea bargain of one count of first-degree assault because Ramirez cooperated and agreed to testify against Rubio. He also thought Ramirez should receive 10 years in prison for causing the events that led to the shooting.
Ramirez called Rubio and McFarlane because they were friends. Karpel said that Rubio was the leader of a Denver street gang.
McFarlane has yet to be sentenced. She is expected to receive 20 years.
Staff writer Howard Pankratz can be reached at 303-954-1939 or hpankratz@denverpost.com.
