Pueblo homicide suspect bound for trial in connection with August 2023 shooting

A district court judge recently ruled that a Pueblo suspect's homicide case will proceed to trial.

Loren Casados, 33, is charged with second-degree murder after she allegedly shot and killed Larry Maes in August 2023.

Casados claimed to investigators that Maes assaulted her prior to the shooting, according to an arrest affidavit authored by the Pueblo County Sheriff's Office.

Deputies detain and question Casados

According to testimony from PCSO Deputy Jerad Velasquez during a July 12 preliminary hearing, several women found Casados wandering in a prairie covered in blood on Aug. 4, 2023. Casados told the women that she wanted to go home to her son and allegedly asked them not to call the police.

However, the women had concerns and contacted law enforcement. When PCSO deputies reached the scene, Casados told them she had been with a friend, who she later identified as Maes, and said he had "beat her up," pulled a gun on her, and kicked her out of the car.

Casados alleged in her comments to investigators that Maes made sexual advances toward her, but she refused, at which point she claimed he grew angry and physically assaulted her, according to the affidavit.

Casados was initially distraught, scared, and crying, according to Deputy Lt. Joshua Rude.

However, the PCSO was concurrently investigating a car crash, which later became a homicide investigation when Maes' body was recovered, in the 1700 block of East Tenderfoot Lane.

When questioned about the crash, Casados became hostile, allegedly threatening Velasquez, Rude, and other deputies on the scene. She allegedly told one deputy that she "wished she had a gun" and said that if the deputy had pulled her over, she would have shot them, Rude and Velasquez stated at the preliminary hearing.

Rude testified that deputies observed no visible injuries to Casados at the scene. However, the affidavit obtained by the Chieftain noted that a detective observed scratches across Casados's chest, arms, legs, and both sides of her face under her eyes.

The affidavit noted that while the detective did not observe any scratches on her hands, which were covered in blood, the detective did not look closely at them as they were handcuffed behind Casados's back.

Casados was transported to a local hospital for examination, but allegedly continued to be hostile toward law enforcement. Velasquez stated that he did not recall if Casados was initially offered a SANE (Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner) examination. However, he testified that a SANE examination cannot be conducted without consent and a warrant.

At the sheriff's annex, Detective Vanessa Simpson searched and photographed Casados, Simpson testified. Simpson noted blood impact spatter was heavier on the left side of Casados's body, saturating her shirt, shorts, and even underwear. When asked by prosecutors if a "chastity belt" allegedly worn by Casados was being used during the incident, Simpson stated she could not tell for sure, but assumed it had been prior to Casados disrobing.

Casados was eventually released and told she could get a SANE exam within 72 hours. Casados never did, according to Simpson.

Casados was arrested and charged several months later in April 2024.

What the crash site, Maes' autopsy showed

Maes was found in an "unnatural position" in the vehicle, lying on his side with his feet up on the dashboard, according to testimony from deputies.

According to Detective Dominic Montoya, who attended Maes' autopsy, Maes died of a single gunshot with an entry wound in the chin. The bullet curved upward and caused bone fragments to break, causing secondary injuries to the cheek and left side of the nose, Montoya testified.

Soot and burn marks from the injury suggested that the wound was sustained from near point-blank range, according to Montoya,

Montoya stated that based on blood patterns on the airbags, it seemed likely that Maes was shot after the airbags had already deployed.

Several 9 mm shell casings were recovered at the scene next to the crashed Dodge Journey on the passenger's side, consistent with a 9 mm Draco "Mini-AK" pistol registered to Casados that was later found some distance away in the prairie. A backpack was also recovered about 75 yards from the handgun, containing shooter bottles of 99 Strawberries Liqueur, as well as a .22 pistol and 9 mm and .22 ammunition.

Detectives also recovered cell phones belonging to Maes and Casados.

Contact between Maes and Casados began on the evening of Aug. 3, with Maes initially contacting Casados over Facebook Messenger to reconnect from an earlier point in life.

During the conversation — the messages of which were reviewed by PCSO detectives after obtaining a search warrant — Maes sent several flirtatious messages to Casados, including a request for a lewd photograph, which Casados refused, according to the affidavit.

In the early afternoon of Aug. 4, Maes sent a message asking Casados what she was doing, after which several video calls were exchanged and Casados sent Maes an address.

Before the shooting, security camera footage from near Casados's residence showed a Dodge Journey pull up to the residence, pick up Casados, and leave the scene.

At the end of the preliminary hearing, attorneys representing Casados declined to make an argument before the judge's ruling.

Judge Amiel Markenson found probable cause to begin the trial process in the case, stating that the standard of evidence for a preliminary hearing is simply whether a reasonable person could believe that someone may have committed a crime.

Casados is being held at the Pueblo County jail on a $500,000 cash-only bond. Her next scheduled appearance in court is a formal arraignment on Aug. 22.

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This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Pueblo homicide suspect bound for trial in connection with August 2023 shooting