GREELEY — The 23-year-old Eaton man who was accused of intentionally attempting to run over more than half-dozen people with his vehicle in July of 2020 was found guilty on Friday of lesser charges, but still faces possible prison time.
The verdict against Isaiah Cordova was delayed a week after Cordova passed out during closing arguments in his trial. He was taken to the hospital for evaluation.
Weld District Court Chief Justice Julie Hoskins found Cordova guilty on five counts of felony menacing. Cordova was found not guilty of the one remaining felony menacing, as well as six counts of attempted first-degree murder. Hoskins said the prosecution failed to meet the obligation of beyond a reasonable doubt on those charges.
Each charge carries a possible sentence of 1-3 years of either probation, community corrections or prison. The judge could order the sentences to be carried out concurrently or consecutively.
The wide sentencing variations mean Cordova faces at minimum one year of probation to 15 years in the Department of Corrections, a realization that left most of the victims visibly frustrated after the hearing.
One of his victims, Micki Holladay was unsure of how she felt after the ruling.
“I’m glad that some of the charges were found guilty,” Holladay told Complete Colorado. “I’m skeptical, I guess, about the system, though. He’s young, I know. Did he mean to do it? Would he have actually killed somebody? Standing there watching him (come toward) me, I was for sure that if I didn’t move he wasn’t going to stop.”
Holladay said she believes actions should have consequences, adding he can’t be left to think what he did was OK, or for others to see that people committing actions of this magnitude are not held responsible.
“I do believe he ought to spend some time in jail,” Holladay said. “I do not want him to think he is getting away with this. He made a bad choice. He made a horrible choice that day. He was mad, whatever, and in the end, I’m sure he was scared because he knew he’d done something stupid, but it’s not going to teach him anything if he just gets community correction or probation.”
The crimes took place at a “Back the Blue” rally along Collins St. just west of U.S. 85 in the northern Weld County community of Eaton. About 30 minutes in, Cordova was seen in a red SUV taunting the crowd while driving east along Collins, yelling and flipping off supporters before jumping the curb and driving through the crowd.
Cordova, who has a history of contempt for law enforcement, testified he was a Black Lives Matter supporter and for that reason could not support a rally for law enforcement.
Witnesses during his three-day trial, which was heard by a judge rather than a jury, testified that they believed he was intentionally trying to hit them as they supported law enforcement during a rally.
Cordova also admitted to taunting the crowd by driving by and yelling at them, “flipping them off,” and playing loud music aimed at vilifying the police.
His attorney Robert Ray argued that Cordova lost control of his vehicle when a rally attendee threw a bottle at his vehicle. Cordova then said he took his foot off the gas; however, Fitzgerald brought forward several witnesses that said they believed it was an act of retaliation and that Cordova not only accelerated once into the crowd but turned into the crowd and accelerated again.
Cordova will be sentenced at 9 a.m. on March 30. He remains free on a $5,000 bond in the meantime.
“People are getting slaps on the hand all the time now,” Holladay said. “Actions need to have consequences.”
