By Blaine Howerton | North Forty News
April 10, 2025
A Weld County jury has sentenced a Greeley man to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the 2022 shooting death of 21-year-old Herminia Marquez.
Twenty-four-year-old Amos Alaniz was convicted on April 9 of first-degree murder for fatally shooting Marquez on November 28, 2022, during a dispute over a stolen vehicle. The incident occurred near the 1100 block of 24th Street Lane in Greeley, where officers responded to a report of a shooting and found Marquez critically injured. She was later pronounced dead.
According to the Weld County District Attorney’s Office, the conflict erupted when Marquez and another woman, who had possession of a stolen vehicle belonging to Alaniz, refused to return it. During the confrontation, Alaniz pulled out a gun and shot Marquez.
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“She was a bright, beautiful soul,” said Marquez’s mother during the sentencing hearing. “Her heart was big, and her love for others was evident in everything she did.”
Weld County District Judge Anita Crowther handed down the maximum penalty: life in the Colorado Department of Corrections without the possibility of parole. Alaniz showed no visible emotion during sentencing.
“This was nothing other than a senseless killing,” said Chief Deputy District Attorney Anthony Perea. “You can hear the pain and suffering that this family has, and I don’t know if any sentence the court imposes will ever take their pain away.”
In a related conviction, 28-year-old Mary Alicia Garcia—who drove the getaway vehicle—was found guilty in 2024 of first-degree murder for her role in the crime. She is currently serving a life sentence.
Prosecutors in the case included Chief Deputy District Attorney Anthony Perea and Deputy District Attorney Katherine Fitzgerald.
For more information about ongoing court cases and public safety updates in Weld County, visit the Weld County District Attorney’s Office website.
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