Pueblo man found not guilty in high profile murder trial
PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) -- A jury delivered a not-guilty verdict in the case of Andrew Baros, a man accused of first-degree murder, on Monday afternoon.
The verdict came down around 1:30 p.m. according to Baros's defense attorney's assistant
Baros was accused of shooting two people near St. Mary Corwin Hospital nine months ago, injuring one, and killing Carlos Lerma.
According to our partners at the Pueblo Chieftain, Baros' lawyers argued that he acted in self-defense. The Chieftan says that Baros' lawyer, Karl Tameler, cited the testimony of Andrew Mendoza, a friend of Baros's who was present at the scene when the shooting occurred. Mendoza testified that Lerma, along with his son and Perez, had "rolled up heavy," speeding up to the house with screeching tires and parking the wrong way on the street.
"When they came up the way they did, he knew that there was a serious circumstance going on," Tameler told KRDO. "He came out armed with his handgun down at his side. The moment that the gun was drawn on him, he did what he had to do."
According to the Chieftain, Tameler emphasized a bullet wound taken by Lerma during the incident was different than others, which he said had "left-hand rifling," as opposed to others with "right-hand rifling," citing testimony by Dr. Daniel Lingamfelter, a forensic pathologist who conducts autopsies for the Pueblo County Sheriff's Office. This gunshot wound, Tameler argued, may have come from a different shooter in what he suggested may have been a "friendly fire" incident intended for another target.
Tameler told KRDO that Baros still has regrets about what happened that day.
"Andrew Baros has always been remorseful for what happened. The gentleman who died in this case was his best friend. He's not happy about what happened. It was a tragedy. It's a tragedy that affected two families. Nobody's happy about the outcome."
Pueblo District Attorney Jeff Chostner said he feels for the Lerma family, but respects the outcome of the jury trial.
"A jury is the voice of the people in our democracy and criminal justice system," Chostner said. "While we are disappointed for our victim's family, our prosecutorial and law enforcement team gave it their all, we respect the sanctity of the verdict."
To read more on the case from the Chieftain, click here.
