'Psycho' faces multiple charges

ALAMOSA– Adre “Psycho” Baroz was charged with seven felonies in the murder of missing Alamosa woman Selena Esquibel when he appeared in court on Monday, Dec. 14.

Esquibel, 19, was reported missing to the Alamosa Police Department on Sept. 3. At the time, she was believed to be residing in the Alamosa area. The complaint indicates that Esquibel was murdered sometime between Aug. 30 and Sept. 3.

The District Attorney’s office of the 12^th Judicial Court has charged Baroz with the following seven felonies: first degree murder after deliberation, a class one felony; second degree murder, a class two felony; second degree kidnapping where the victim was seized using a deadly weapon for the intention of bartering, a class three felony; committing a violent crime with the use of a weapon, referenced as a “sentence enhancer”; second degree assault causing injury with a deadly weapon, a class four felony; committing a violent crime using a weapon, listed as a sentence enhancer; intimidating a witness/victim with the use of a weapon, a class three felony; tampering with a deceased human body, a third class felony; and tampering with physical evidence for the purpose of destroying, a class six felony.

According to Colorado law, a person commits tampering with a deceased human body “if, believing that an official proceeding is pending, in progress, or about to be instituted and acting without legal right or authority, the person willfully destroys, mutilates, conceals, removes, or alters a human body, part of a human body, or human remains with intent to impair its or their appearance or availability in the official proceedings.”

Sentence enhancements relate to sentencing where, if a defendant is convicted of a crime, the judge is allowed – and in some cases, required – to increase a defendant’s sentence beyond the established range of punishment. Usually, sentence enhancements relate to the criminal history of the defendant or to specific details about how the crime was committed that increase its gravity. 

Baroz is represented in court by David Lipka, an attorney known for taking “high stakes” cases, often involving the death penalty.

The prosecution is being handled by Fred Johnson, a seasoned trial attorney out of Boulder who, at this point, is in charge of the case. The current district attorney, Robert Willett, will be stepping down from the position in January when District Attorney Elect Alonzo Payne takes office. Payne, who did his internship in law school as a public defender, has no prosecutorial experience.  Johnson was called in at Willett’s request who has had no contact with Payne prior to or since Baroz’s first appearance in court roughly two weeks ago.

An arrest warrant for homicide had already been issued for Baroz when the remains of three bodies were found in Los Sauces in Conejos County. At that time, Baroz was named by the Colorado Bureau of Investigation as a suspect related to the bodies that were found. He was subsequently apprehended by law enforcement officials at a motel in Gallup, New Mexico. 

Since then, one of the bodies has been identified as 38-year-old Myron Robert Martinez of Del Norte who had been reported as missing to the Rio Grande Sheriff’s Office on November 6. At that time, Martinez’s family reported they had not been in contact with him since October. 

Baroz has not been charged in relation to the discovery of Martinez’s body.

When the arrest warrant for the murder of Selena Esquibel was issued, the DA’s office requested it remained sealed out of concern for the safety of individuals related to the case, a request honored by the courts given that Baroz was not in custody. 

In Baroz’s first court appearance, Judge Michael Gonzales stated that it was important for the court to be transparent and informed both the defense and the prosecution that since Baroz was now in custody he planned to unseal the arrest warrant unless either one or both of the attorneys could present compelling arguments to the contrary.

On Monday, after listening to both Lipka and Johnson, Gonzales agreed to allow both attorneys to submit requests for redactions in the document by 5 pm on Tuesday, Dec. 15.  Based on what was submitted, Gonzales indicted he would unseal the arrest warrant with, if any, appropriate redactions in place.

Baroz appeared in court via Webex from the Alamosa County Jail where he is being held.  Aside from answering that yes he understood everything being said and no, he had no questions, he watched the proceedings in silence, wearing a face mask.

Baroz is scheduled to appear in court for a preliminary hearing related to the murder of Selena Esquibel at 9am on Jan.21, 2020.