Colorado family hopes son's killer will be caught 2 years after his murder
Two years after a Lakewood man went missing, the man Denver police believe who murdered him is still on the loose. James Montoya was last seen leaving the Hangar Bar in Lakewood on April 2, 2023.
At the time, CBS Colorado's Olivia Young spoke with his family as they searched for him. Two years later, she visited their home to learn more about their grief and search for justice.
For two years, the Montoya family has waited for justice.
"It's already been so long, two years already, too long," said Jennie Patterson, James's grandmother.
James Montoya was a boyfriend, son, brother, and grandson.
"He'd come over and say, 'Grandma, what do you need? What do you want? I'll go get it right now.' You know, that's the kind of heart he had," Patterson said.
"He was one of those people, the life of the party, and he always cared about the underdog," said Eddie Montoya, James's father.
His loved ones say that each passing day without the 26-year-old hurts.
"My precious boy," Patterson said while looking through photos of James. "That was him as a baby. This is more like him when he was getting ready to go out."
After going out that fateful 2023 night, James never came home.
His family began to search for him and learned he had left the bar with a man named Jesus Arvizo. They say they called Arvizo and showed up at his home, but he never gave them answers about what happened that night.
"It was four months of waiting and hoping and wishing he was still alive, and just knowing that this person had done something," said Corinna Montoya, James's mother.
In late July 2023, the CBI found James' body in Saguache County.
Denver police believe Arvizo shot James after an argument in a car in Denver, then disposed of his body.
"My son just made a slight comment. The guy took it offensively, obviously a very insecure person, and shot my son. And even after, my son tried to, you know, say, 'Hey, dude, calm down. I was just messing with you.' But that wasn't good enough," Corinna Montoya said.
Police arrested Amber Jean Dominguez on Sept. 5, 2023, for first-degree murder after the fact in the death of Montoya. According to the Denver District Attorney's Office, the charges against Dominguez were dismissed in April 2024.
Arvizo is wanted for first-degree murder but has still not been found.
"I want to go grab him myself. You know, I just want ... it's not fair. Period," Patterson said.
"Although he hasn't been caught yet, he was in prison the day he pulled that trigger. He was in prison and, yeah, God help him the day they find him ... the day the hammer comes down on him, justice," said Eddie Montoya.
"We definitely feel like we got some closure with finding his body, which was a miracle, but we'd really like the capture of his killer," Corinna Montoya said.
Today, James's cremains lie under a Japanese red maple in the Montoyas' front yard.
"We miss him terribly. They took a very special person away from us," Patterson said. "There's that void which will always, always be there. But we know he's looking down on us, too. We know he's one of God's angels."
The family believes someone out there can bring them the justice they seek.
"Please do something and say something. Put yourself in our shoes. You know, we're waiting. He needs to be held accountable," Corinna Montoya said.
"Justice will still be served. I'm sure of that," Patterson said.
If you have any information about Jesus Arvizo's whereabouts, call Denver police. You can also contact Metro Denver Crime Stoppers to remain anonymous at (720) 913-7867. In 2023, a $2,000 reward for information about Arvizo was offered.
