Teen Killer Of Englewood Chef Sentenced To Life In Prison

ENGLEWOOD, CO – A teen, tried as an adult, as the trigger-puller in the 2016 shooting death of an Englewood chef was sentenced Monday to life in prison.

Arapahoe District Court Judge Andrew Baum sentenced Raheem Benson, now 18, to life in prison with possibility of parole after 40 years, a statement from the 17th Judicial District District Attorney's Office said.

Nick Lewis, 33, was targeted by the two teens in a random attack on Oct. 1, 2016, as he walked home in Englewood from a convenience store. The teens later boasted about the attack on social media.

Benson's friend Louis Lara-Macias pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to 21 years in the Department of Corrections, which will be suspended upon successful completion of seven years in the Department of Corrections’ youth offender system, the DA's office said.

Englewood Police officers, responding to reports of shots fired, found Lewis lying on his back in the sidewalk in the 3000 block of South Acoma Street. Lewis was pronounced dead at Swedish Medical Center; he had been shot three times and died from a wound to his heart, the DA's office said.

Investigators found shell casings at the scene. A vehicle, captured on surveillance video, was traced to a car stolen from Denver two days earlier. The car was recovered in Westminster during investigation of an Oct. 3, 2016, shooting in which teenagers Benson and Louis Lara-Macias were arrested.

Englewood detectives were able to tie both of them to Lewis’ death and they were charged with murder.

According to the DA's office, Lewis’ former wife spoke on behalf of their son, who had just turned 8 when his father was murdered.

His ex wife said Lewis’death was unjust and senseless. “These young men have permanently altered the course of (my son’s) life. Nothing can be done to right what has been done.”

“I don’t think any of your deficiencies shields you or excuses the choice you made that night,” Judge Baum said in a statement. “At some point you knew it was wrong to go out there with a gun … No one else made that choice.”

Benson was convicted March 22 of first-degree felony murder, second-degree murder and attempted aggravated robbery in Lewis’ death.

Image via 18th Judicial District Attorney's Office.