The Denver grand jury has indicted Nadine Montoya on charges she killed Lilian Verdonkschot, alleging that in the moments before Verdonkschot died, a drunk and screaming Montoya aimed her car at Verdonkschot and two of her companions.
Verdonkschot died at 7 a.m. on May 29 at Denver Health Medical Center just hours after Montoya repeatedly ran over her with her car at the Burger King at 6th Avenue and Broadway, said the grand jury.
Montoya, 26, was indicted on two counts of first-degree murder in Verdonkschot’s death, including first-degree felony murder and first-degree extreme indifference murder.
Montoya is also accused of two counts of vehicular assault, which accuse her of drunken driving and reckless endangerment.
According to the indictment, Verdonkschot, her daughter, Shala Parker, and their friend, Jennifer Goodrich, had attended a birthday party at JR’s bar in the hours before they drove to the Burger King.
The same evening, Montoya, Briana Garcia and Damian Saiz had gone to a house party where Montoya initially drank shots of E&J Brandy and vodka, said the grand jury. Montoya drank vodka shots between midnight and 2 a.m.
After leaving their parties, the two groups independently went to the Burger King.
There, while waiting in the drive-through lane, Saiz got out of Montoya’s car and approached the car that Parker – Verdonkschot’s daughter – was driving and asked for a cigarette. He was told the women did not have cigarettes. Saiz returned to Montoya’s car.
Saiz got out and approached Parker’s car a second time and reached into Parker’s vehicle.
Parker rolled up the window, briefly trapping Saiz’s hand before Parker lowered the window.
Saiz returned to Montoya’s car. At that point, said the grand jury, the occupants of the Montoya car started swearing at Parker, her mother and Goodrich.
Alarmed, Parker asked the Burger King employees at the drive-through window to call police.
After the Parker group received their food and began to exit the drive-through, a glass object hit the Parker car and shattered.
Parker pulled into a parking space to check for damage.
Montoya pulled in behind the Parker vehicle and the occupants of Montoya’s car attacked the women from the Parker car in the parking lot.
Goodrich was knocked to the ground, and Parker helped her into the car.
But as Parker and Verdonkschot were attempting to get in the car themselves, Parker heard either Montoya or Garcia say “let’s just run over them.”
Saiz, who was in the car with Montoya, said Montoya uttered a series of profanities at the Parker women before she gunned the car forward.
Burger King employees said they heard Montoya’s tires squeal and the engine roar as she aimed her car at Parker and Verdonkschot.
According to the grand jury, Montoya drove her car forward and hit the rear of Parker’s car, pinning Verdonkschot between the two cars. Montoya then either rolled or backed her car up and Verdonkschot fell to the ground.
Montoya then drove over Verdonkschot with both her front and back tires while Verdonkschot was on the ground, said the grand jury.
At that point, Montoya fled the scene in her car and ran a red light when she turned left to northbound Lincoln Avenue. The red light violation was captured by an intersection camera.
Montoya remains in custody in the Denver County Jail where she is being held without bond. Her next court appearance has not been scheduled.
Howard Pankratz: 303-954-1939 or Pankratz@denverpost.cam
