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Pair sentenced to prison after fatal shooting outside Windmill Apartments

savino anceno Cropped

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) - A year and a day after the killing of 32-year-old Nicholas Romero in Colorado Springs, the two people convicted in connection with his death were sentenced to prison, but they'll be back on the street earlier than prosecutors had originally hoped for.

Romero was killed by a shotgun blast fired by Savino Anceno on Dec. 8 outside of the Windmill Apartments.

Anceno and a woman, Sapphire Nicks, were arrested and originally charged with murder for the shooting, but the case largely fell apart because the two wouldn't testify against each other and tell investigators what actually happened. A few months ago, the two both entered plea agreements for less-severe charges.

Monday, his family members watched as Anceno and another person were sentenced.

Arrest affidavits and police reports were sealed in the case, and little information was known until court hearings. According to testimony, Romero was asked by Nicks to deliver a stolen car, and prosecutors say the shooting was a result of a robbery gone wrong.

But the exact details of what happened are only known by Nicks, Anceno, and the now-deceased Romero.

During Monday's sentencing hearing, Romero's family members spoke of the absence left by his death. Romero's mother said she felt he was "lured to his death" by Nicks, and said that a shotgun "isn't meant to wound, it's meant to kill." She wept while surrounded by family members when she said Romero died "cold and alone."

Romero's mother said she feels the justice system failed him, adding, "My son is gone forever, and his killer will be back on the streets in his 20s."

One of the prosecutors agreed with her sentiment but said that because they had little other evidence, they had to take what they could get. Anceno pleaded guilty to reckless manslaughter; Nicks pleaded guilty to attempted aggravated robbery and aggravated motor vehicle theft.

Judge Jill Brady noted that she didn't think the defendants understood the gravity of the situation and the loss they had inflicted. She said she, herself, didn't understand what actually happened and that was, in part, because no one would say what happened in those few moments that led to Romero's death.

Anceno was also convicted of a menacing after an assault on a deputy while in custody, and prosecutors noted a previous conviction after he held a knife to his sister's throat because he couldn't get a ride to a court appearance. Brady said she saw a pattern and agreed with prosecutors that Anceno resorts to violence when he doesn't get what he wants.

Brady sentenced Anceno to 12 years in the Department of Corrections, and Nicks was sentenced to 11 years.

Article Topic Follows: Crime

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Andrew McMillan

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