Lakewood Man Sentenced To 40 Years For Shooting Wife

LAKEWOOD, CO — A man was sentenced to 40 years in prison Friday for shooting his wife to death last year, the First Judicial District Attorney's office said. The sentence was handed down Friday in Jefferson County District Court.

Humberto Morales Mares, 35, killed his wife, Carmen Escalante, on April 1, 2018, the district attorney's office said.

Lakewood police were called to 131 S. Fenton and found 35-year-old Escalante shot in her chest and throat. Their 3-year-old child was in the house, and Morales Mares was arrested, police said.

Morales Mares, who had a history of domestic violence, told police he shot her because “she made him mad," prosecutors said.

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“This is a fitting sentence. We must hold domestic violence offenders accountable,” District Attorney Pete Weir said in a statement. “Domestic violence shatters lives and destroys families and communities. We must continually renew our commitment to breaking the cycle of violence.”

Morales Mares pleaded guilty to attempted first degree murder on Aug. 27. He was in the U.S. illegally and was ordered deported after he completes his prison sentence, the district attorney's office said. He has been deported once before.