In Brighton, Colorado, a 39-year-old individual was found guilty of deliberately hitting three pedestrians, which included his ex-girlfriend and her family, in a parking lot in Adams County in 2022, as stated by the 17th Judicial District Attorney’s Office on Tuesday.
Manuel Handboy, 39, was convicted on multiple charges, which include attempted murder, and is set for sentencing in April.
The incident took place on the afternoon of January 15, 2022, when Handboy’s ex-girlfriend, along with her mother and sister, returned from shopping and headed to the Red Rock Motel near W. 63rd Avenue and Federal Boulevard in Adams County. The ex-girlfriend had been residing with her mother following a recent breakup with Handboy, according to the district attorney’s office.
The trio unloaded their car and noticed Handboy sitting in his car nearby.
According to the district attorney’s office, Handboy suddenly drove towards the group without any prior warning, purposely hitting the ex-girlfriend, her mother, and her sister with his vehicle. The impact was strong enough to propel both the ex-girlfriend and her mother into the air, while the sister, who was inside her car at the time, was also hit. The ex-girlfriend and her sister suffered injuries, whereas their mother was rendered unconscious, sustaining a traumatic brain injury and several fractures.
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Handboy crashed the car, which ended up on its side, and tried to run away from the scene but was stopped by a witness. Adams County deputies then took him into custody.
Based on the preliminary investigation, the sheriff’s office said “the suspect had been involved in an ongoing domestic violence incident with one of the victims.”
His trial lasted eight days in Adams County District Court.
Nearly three years later, on Jan. 13, a jury found Handboy guilty on charges of attempted first-degree murder, attempted second-degree murder, attempted manslaughter, first-degree assault, second-degree assault and third-degree assault.
He is set for sentencing on April 2.
“This defendant plowed his vehicle into three innocent victims, causing unspeakable suffering,” said District Attorney Brian Mason. “The defendant’s violent actions are an outrageous assault on this community, and I’m grateful to the jury for returning a just verdict. The District Attorney’s Office will continue to prosecute violent acts of domestic violence to the fullest extent of the law. I appreciate the hard work of our law enforcement partners and my team at the DA’s Office in securing justice in this case.”
