This content details a tragic incident where a 14-year-old, seeking to advance in the gang world, fatally shot a 32-year-old mother, Pamela Cabriales, who was caught in the crossfire during a drive-by shooting. The narrative follows the investigation, interrogations of the involved teenagers, and the eventual convictions of the perpetrators.
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a 14-year-old trying to make a name for
himself in the gang world. And the
passenger asked the person in the driver
if he can shoot him. And then the person
in the driver said yes. A young mother
caught in the crossfire. Ma'am, I'm
going to cut your seat belt. Okay. I'm
Officer Le with the Denver Police
Department. Okay. In a high-speed chase
that ended in a lifealtering interrogation.
interrogation.
This one reckless night shattered lives
forever. This is like a big
deal. This isn't like, oh, you stole a
car and didn't go to school. Like,
someone lost their life, dude. Behind
somebody's dumb that you was in the car
with. It was late, just past 10:45 p.m.
The streets of Denver were quiet, but
not empty. A Honda sat at a red light on
Kfax, right where it meets Interstate
25. Then a Range Rover rolled up behind
it and just as it was coming to a stop,
it rearended the Honda. A minor tap,
barely a crash. Then a dark-hooded
figure stepped out of the Honda, gun in
hand. No hesitation, he fired 15, maybe
20 shots straight into the Range Rover.
Then, as if making sure the job was
done, he climbed back into the Honda,
aimed out the window, and fired two more
shots at the Range Rover before speeding
off into the night. Jaden was on her way
home that night, just another routine
drive through Denver. She didn't think
much of the red light at Kfax until the
gunfire started. Pop, pop, pop, pop,
pop. I at first, it didn't register what
was happening until the cars in the two
lanes next to me started going. Sharp
pops cut through the air, one after
another. Cars in the lanes next to her
started rolling forward. That's when she
knew something was happening. Um, and
then I realized I said I had said, "Oh,
something's happening." And I ducked
down and several more happened. More
shots rang out. When she finally lifted
her head, he caught a glimpse of the
scene. And I pulled next to the car. Um,
barely got a glance. It looked as though
the window was either rolled down or
shot out, but I believe that the window
was out. I didn't look at the windshield
or see inside the vehicle. She couldn't
see inside, couldn't tell who had fired
the shots. And then the car that was in
front of them sped off. I went behind
them, but pretty far back cuz they went
pretty quickly and got off on
uh Federal. Jaden didn't follow. She
took her own turn, distancing herself
from whatever had just unfolded. At that
moment, she didn't know exactly what she
had witnessed, but she knew it wasn't
good. Got off on Federal and I actually
don't I didn't obviously see what
occurred because the car that uh was
obstructing my view. So, I didn't know
at the time if the shots came from the
car in front or inside the vehicle. Um,
but that's what I saw. Jaden hadn't
counted the shots in the moment, but she
guessed there were five to seven at first.
first.
Call it five to seven perhaps. Then a
pause. Just a second or two before a few
more rang out. Okay. And then you said
you heard you ducked down and heard
several more pops. How many more do you
think you heard? Perhaps three. Okay.
Jaden was preoccupied. She was driving
home from an appointment. And you never
saw anybody get in or out any vehicles?
No. I in my mind thought it was
fireworks or something and just wasn't
paying attention. At first, it crossed
her mind that maybe they were fireworks,
but as the noise echoed through the
street, she realized this was different.
This was real. She ducked her body,
reacting before her mind fully caught
up. The sound was sharp, unmistakable
gunfire. She felt exposed, vulnerable.
She ducked lower, hoping she wouldn't
feel the sudden searing pain of a stray
bullet. I recognized the sound of
gunshots, and I thought perhaps one was
going to hit me.
Fear didn't hit her right away. It was
more of a delayed reaction, creeping in
after the moment had already passed, but
the thought stuck with her. If she had
been just a little closer, just a little
slower, maybe things would have turned
out differently. Jaden wasn't the only
witness. Many more experienced the same
terror. Alex Martinez had been on his
way home from a soccer game when the
gunfire shattered the night. At first,
he wasn't paying much attention. His
music was up, drowning out the usual
city noise, but then flashes of light.
His stomach dropped. That wasn't street
lights. That wasn't fireworks. Uh, I did
not physically see the weapon. I seen
the light from when the when you shoot
the gun and you you have like the light
and the sound. So that's what I heard.
Unlike Jaden, Alex actually saw the
shooter when he got got out his he had
his hoodie on and he turned to face towards
towards
north and all I see is the side of his
forehead. So literally right here, the
figure turned just enough for Alex to
catch a glimpse of his forehead. He
wasn't tall, maybe 5'6 or 5'7. Then he
lifted his arm, partially hidden by the
roof of the car. Alex didn't need to see
the weapon to know what was happening.
The gunshots told him everything. Six
flashes, six sharp bursts of light, each
one sending a wave of adrenaline through
his body. The Honda was already speeding
off, disappearing into the night. Alex
didn't stick around to see where it was
headed. He just kept driving, pulse
hammering, knowing he had seen something
he wasn't supposed to. Meanwhile, first
responders rushed to the [Applause]
scene. Officers and paramedics moved
fast, closing in on the Range Rover
where a woman sat slumped over,
bleeding. Ma'am, I'm going to cut your
seat belt. Okay. I'm Officer Leer with
I'm going to battle down. An officer
pressed down on her wounds, trying to
slow the bleeding. There were multiple
I'm just going to keep some pressure on
few. Is she the only victim? She's the
They worked quickly checking for an ID,
searching her purse. See if I can find
Yeah. I don't know how you want to do
this. You want to put the seat back to her?
her?
One of them called out trying to get a
response. Nothing. What's your name? Can
She was the only one in the car. No
passengers, no witnesses inside, just
her barely hanging on. They tried
adjusting the seat to reach her better,
fumbling with the controls. Every second
counted. Hey, Scott, hold that seat.
It's not going. Is there anything behind
the seat? No. All electric. Hang on. I
got it. But the truth was already
sinking in. This wasn't just another
traffic stop gone wrong. This was a hit.
And whoever pulled the trigger was long
gone. An officer stepped around to the
back of the SUV. Glass crunched under
his boots. The rear window was blown
out. The front of the car was no
different. Bullet holes tore through the
glass. He counted them one by one.
I counted eight shots. Eight? Yeah.
There's one right above the left
windshield wiper. So that's two out of
like right there. Please reverse. That's
the same one as on the back. Okay,
that's probably eight shots just in the
windshield alone. Another officer
searched the purse again. Nothing. No
ID, no wallet, just an empty bag.
Whoever she was, they had no name yet.
Another officer called out for gloves.
You got gloves. Nitro gloves. Uh, I got
one. There's one here. Pick it up and
Are you okay?
I photographed it. [Music]
[Music]
Evidence needed collecting. Shell
casings, bullet fragments. Every piece
mattered now. Finally, an officer found
something in the car with her name on it.
it.
Is that her person? Yeah, I'm trying to
find an ID. Is there more than anybody
else? No, it's just one person. Could
you hold that open, please? Her full
name was Pamela Cabriales. She was just
32 years old. Pamela was heading home
after dinner with a friend that night.
Pamela worked as a real estate agent.
She had no affiliations to any gangs, no
criminal record. She was a hard-working
mom to her six-year-old son, Leo. Pamela
Cabriales fought for days in the
hospital, but the damage was too much.
She didn't make it. Just like that, a
mother was gone. And now there is a
child left behind, waiting for someone
who would never come home. Hours later,
an officer recognizes the asalent's car
from a previous incident involving shots
being fired into a McDonald's. The teens
allegedly led police on a short chase
before crashing and running into a
neighborhood where two of the suspects
can be seen running down a sidewalk. The
next day, a Denver police officer
spotted a Honda linked to a different
shooting, a gang related incident at a
McDonald's where multiple shots had been
fired. At the time, the officer didn't
realize this was the same vehicle
connected to Pamela's murder. But the
people inside needed to be questioned.
When police tried to stop the car, the
suspects took off. A short chase
followed, ending when the vehicle
crashed. Three teens bailed out,
sprinting through a quiet neighborhood
before making a quick about face and
running in the other direction.
Surveillance cameras caught two of them
running down a sidewalk before suddenly
turning back the other way. They hid in
a nearby shed, but it didn't take long
before the police closed in and for
police to respond and arrest all three suspects.
suspects.
Officers swarmed the area, cutting off
escape routes. Within minutes, all three
suspects were in custody. Authorities
found spent shell casings in the car and
also in the shed where they were hiding.
The car matched the description of the
shooting at Califax and also the same
caliber shell casings. Are these three
teens involved in Pamela's murder?
Authorities need to find out. The first
suspect was Remy Cordova. Since he was
only 14, he couldn't be interviewed
alone. So, his mom sat beside him in the
interrogation room. I'm going to advise
you of your rights and then I'm going to
leave the
room and um you two need to talk about
whether or not you want to you want to
talk about this investigation or not. Okay.
Okay.
Did she just stop him from admission of
guilt? Or is she hardly able to believe
what her son had gotten himself into? No
one knows, but one thing was certain.
The gang life had real consequences. And
now Remy was a suspect in a murder case.
Inside the police station, Remy Cordova
sat with his mother away from prying
eyes. His mother warned him. The cops
were asking if he went by something
else. Is he little Row? She was a mother
trying to protect him. She cut him off
before he could admit. When the officers
returned, the mood in the room changed.
totally different. Yeah.
Are you guys done talking? Yeah. I'm
going to turn the video back on. Okay.
Yes. Do you have my phone number?
The camera clicked back on and it became
obvious the mother knew that Remy was
somehow involved. That was it. No
explanations, no denials, just a quick
signature on the refusal form and the
interview was over. The officers shut
off the video. Remy stayed silent, but
that didn't mean investigators were in
the dark. They already knew who he was.
A name in their system, a face linked to
gang activity, a juvenile record that
spoke for itself. But the next suspect,
he wasn't as quiet. 18-year-old Nishan
Johnson, the driver of the Honda, had a
lot more to say. The question started
right away. Where had he been? Who was
he with? What happened that night? So,
Nishan, I just want to figure out what's
going on, what happened. If you could
just kind of take me through the events
tonight, where you were, what was going
on, who you were with, and don't worry
about me writing. You don't need to
catch up. Just go and I'll catch up with
you. I'm just taking down some some
things. Don't worry about any of that,
okay? That's just for me. So, if you
want to just start, work backwards or
forward, however you want to do that. I
mentioned westbound KFax to I25. Do you
know what I'm talking about with that?
No. Okay. When the officer mentioned
KFax and I25, Johnson hesitated. He said
he didn't know what that was about. The
officer tried again, asked him to just
walk through his night. Well, let's talk
how just your night went where you were.
Let's start with that. I was with my
auntie and my god sisters on it was like
Jewel. It's like behind it's Federal and
Jewel behind the
McDonald's. I was there all day with
them and chilling with them and then I
left. But
around what
12 11? No, it was like 11 cuz I think
police got behind us like around 12:00.
So, they came and beat me up at 12.
Johnson stuck to his story at first,
saying he had nothing to do with the
shooting, but the timeline started to
get messy after he left aunt's place.
When you mentioned 12, are we talking 12
noon during the day or 12 midnight at
night? Like torch night. Like I I was
there I was at my bay mom's then I left.
Then I went to my cousins and then they
um my father came to pick me up. That's
when the police got behind them. He said
his friend had picked him up around that
time. He said he started texting his
friend around 9:55 telling him to be
ready and by 11:00 they had to come pick
him up. At first he made it sound like
it was just one person, but then he
slipped, referring to they. The
detective caught it immediately. Okay.
And I asked it cuz you say they. When
you say they, it leads me, and I'm not
trying to trick you. I'm saying they
leads me to believe there's more than
one person. You're not saying he came to
get me. You're saying they came to get
me. So who's Yeah. Who's with him when
he comes? He had a partner in the car.
Okay. But I ain't know him. So I don't I
don't even deal with him. You feel me? I
wasn't even talking to him. So where was
he sitting in the car? He was in the
back seat. Okay. When I came out, by the
time I came out, he was in the backseat.
Is he black, white, or Hispanic? He
um to me, he looked white to me, you
feel me? But I wasn't really paying
attention. Okay. Was he kind of slim
like yourself or kind of husky or fat
like me? Husky or
I don't know. Can you catch his name?
Nuh-uh. The detective kept digging,
asking where the guy was sitting, what
he looked like, if there were any
weapons in the car. Johnson brushed it
off. Said he wasn't focused on that. But
the detective wasn't buying it. The more
Johnson talked, the more the details
started changing, and it was only a
matter of time before the whole thing
started to unravel. Johnson tried to
explain why he fled, saying the icy
roads made it hard to stop. The
detective wasn't convinced. He asked
again why Johnson didn't just pull over.
Why? Tell me more about why you didn't
stop. Cuz I don't have no driver's
license. I ain't going to lie. That's
the only thing. If I had a driver's
license, I pulled over. But I don't have
no driver's license. out. Johnson
admitted he didn't have a driver's
license. And without it, he figured
running was his best option. That led to
more questions. When you see the police
on the side of you, you're driving, you
make the turn, hit the curb, they light
you up, you decide not to stop. When you
notice the police, who notices them
first? You or the other two guys in the
car? To be honest, we all did cuz they
was right next to us. Tell me more about
the conversation going on in the car
about the 50 being next to you. We were
just like police right next to us. I was
like, I'm going home. Okay. He just
wanted to get home. Then the detective
shifted focus. What about the others in
the car? He kept saying he was just
trying to go home, but the detective
wasn't letting up. He knew there was
more to the story, and Johnson's version
wasn't adding up.
Did Lil Row or the guy in the car talk
about being on one or being that they
had a heater in the car or being
concerned about the police bumping you
guys up with anything in the car? See,
they didn't tell me trying to worry
about nothing. They was like, "Big bro,
cool." You feel me? They was like, I
guess they was trying to hide it from
cuz like get on their ass, you feel me?
If y'all doing something stupid, you
feel me? Come to my house, [ __ ] We can
eat food, treat, whatever y'all want.
Y'all can come to my house. Y'all don't
have to do no dumb, you feel me? Cuz
[ __ ] I just got through done doing
that group home, foster home. So I don't
want to be done in and out of jail,
[ __ ] I got two kids. I got two little
girls. So [ __ ] anything anybody
younger than me, I take them under my
wing and I try to show them anybody
anything better. Okay. And they know if
they tell me anything stupid, I'mma go
off on them. So I that's probably the
reason why they didn't tell me nothing.
Whatever they did, okay, before they
came cuz I' been on and then I would
even got in the car. Mhm. Like what is
y'all doing? Okay. Like, come on, cuz
don't I'm mad they put me in a
predicament like this anyways. Like,
[ __ ] don't put me in a predicament
like that. But true. Nishan insists that
he had no idea what the others were up
to. He claims they didn't mention
anything about weapons or being worried
about the police. But as much as he
tries to separate himself from whatever
happened, the detective isn't buying it.
He admitted he jumped out of the car and
hid in a shed. He claimed he froze,
waiting until officers found him. But
the detective can tell there's more to
the story. Nishan just isn't ready to
say it yet. Nishan said the other two
bailed the second they could. He had no
choice but to scramble out too. He
barely knew Denver. His real home is in
Georgia. The detective listened but
doesn't let him steer the conversation
too far.
So the tell me more about getting into
the shed. I was just in the shed and I
went to
sleep. After I went to sleep, I hear
people and then that's when I was in the
shed and that's when the dog came in.
Okay. Dog come in. He like I'm surprised
the dog didn't attack me. I ain't going
to lie. Like I'm slick blessed today cuz
the dog didn't exactly attack me. He
smelled me, walked away, smelled me
again, walked
away. And then after that, he thought
maybe, just maybe, he'd get lucky. But
when the SWAT team moved in, the dog
went into full takedown mode. When like
SWAT team came in, that's when he
started tripping for real. Like when he
like when the dude said I or some
command, he was on it. And that's when
he chipped my back in my foot. I was
like, "Hey, I do nothing. None of that.
I want to get bit. Whatever I say."
Nishan didn't fight it. He didn't want
to get bitten. He gave up as soon as
they told him to. The detective pushes
again. Was anyone else in the shed?
Okay. Okay. At any time when you're in
the shed, did you meet up with Lil Row
or the other white guy? No, they never
came back. So, was you in the shed all
by yourself? Mhm. Nobody else was with
you? Nope. And was it in a front yard, a
backyard? Uh, I was in like the back mid
like that was weird type to be honest. I
didn't know who shed it was. Nuh-uh. Did
you know whose house it was? Nuh-uh.
Nishan insisted he was alone the whole
time, but the detective knew he was
lying, and Nishan's version of events is
only getting shakier. The detective
doesn't let up. He circles back, asking
Nishan to walk through every moment
again. Who said what, who did what, and
exactly how it all went down. What is
the conversation in the car?
Really was no conversation in the car,
but they could go. I'm sorry. I said it
ain't no it wasn't no conversation in no
car but go
but go. Yes. Why was that? I don't know.
Okay. Earlier you told me cuz you didn't
have a license. Yeah. Like I don't know.
I don't have no license. But that's what
they was telling me. You said what was
the conversation? Okay. You feel me? You
said what conversation did we have while
the police was was behind us and who was
telling go? Little bro. We was like bro
just go. You feel me? I mean, don't have
no license. You feel me? I'm not f to
pull off. Did little bro say he was hot?
Nah. [ __ ] go. Oh. Okay. You know how
young You know
how days this young [ __ ] generation
want to run from the police or do
anything from the police now. You feel
me? So, so you listen to him. So, you
listen to him and you went. That's how
it was. You feel me? Type [ __ ] Okay.
Nishan blamed Remy Cordova for
everything. Remy panicked, yelling at
him to go. He didn't want to run, but he
had no license, and Remy kept pushing,
so he hit the gas. The detective then
asked him to estimate how long the chase
lasted. From the point you saw the
police to the point that you uh it gets
slippery and you end up crashing. Mhm.
How much time passed? I don't know. How
much would you say? A minute, 5 minutes,
30 seconds. I say a minute.
Okay. And then when you crash, what do
you do? Get out the car and run. Okay.
Anybody shed? Huh? And go to a shed.
They went to the shed I was in again.
The detective presses him. Who ran with
him? Did anyone follow? Nishan sticks to
his story. All right. Anybody go with
you to the shed? No. Did anybody follow
you? No. By myself? Okay. You're in
there by yourself? Yes, I was in there
by myself the whole like third two three
hours. Got to take a nap and all. But
the detective isn't just interested in
where Nishan hid. He's fishing for
something else. Then the detective zeros
in on a very key moment. That one minute
window when everything happened fast.
The police lights, the chase, the crash,
the escape. In that one minute when you
see the police and then you go, you
crash, you get out, you dip, and you go
to the shed, you say by yourself, right?
Yeah. Anybody give you anything before
you got out of the car? No. Anybody ask
you to hold anything? Nissan had been
insisting he was alone in the shed. He's
been denying that anyone gave him
anything. But now the detective drops a bombshell.
bombshell.
Okay. You know why I'm asking all these
questions? Because the shed you were found
found
in, those shell casings match at our
murder scene. Can you explain that to
me? And you said nobody's in the shed
with you. Okay. You're in there by
yourself, but the same caliber shell
casing that's in the shed where you're
at is the same caliber at our murder
scene. Can you explain that to me if
nobody handed you anything? Nobody
handed me nothing. Okay. So, how did
that end up in the shed with you? Mhm.
Oh, ain't you going to cut it? I don't
know. Okay.
The detectives keep pressing. This is
his chance to be honest. Either he was
at the murder scene or someone handed
him something that tied him to it, but
the story he's been telling, it doesn't
add up. Your chance to be honest, okay?
And I'm not saying you're not. So,
please don't be offended by that. Okay?
But I don't know is not going to cut it.
As I told you before when we first
started, it's a homicide investigation.
I told you you're not free to leave.
Okay? You remember that?
Okay. If some if if you were there for
something or somebody asked you to hold
on to something, I need to know. Okay.
And not just for myself, but for
yourself. You got a kid, right? Too. You
want to see those kids grow up? Yes. Do
you want to be able to hold them and not
be behind glass when you see them? Or do
you want them to come and visit you
during yard time? Again, I'm not
threatening you. I'm not upset with you.
But I'm telling you, this is the road
we're going down. You're digging
yourself a hole here. So, if you if you
have something, you know something,
Nishan, now's the time to tell me. Okay?
You tell me you were by yourself when
you I'm sorry, when you ran, nobody else
was in that shed. I asked you several
times that question. You're adamant. Nobody
Nobody was.
was.
Okay. So, it's one of two things. Either
you were there at that murder
scene or somebody gave you something to
hold on to. So, now's your chance to
help yourself. Don't dig yourself a
hole. You got one foot in this hole
right now, Nan. Okay. Nishan stares at
the detective blankly. The weight of the
moment is settling in. The detective
isn't backing off. And now Nishan has to
decide. Stick to his story or start
talking. What would you like to do? You
want to tell me who gave you something
or if you were there, come clean and
tell me. They ain't give me that and I
wasn't there. Okay. White boy just
hopped out with me. Okay. Nishan
hesitates. Then suddenly remembers
something. Or at least that's how he
presents it. There was someone else in
the shed. The white boy. But I didn't
know he had nothing. You feel me? Cuz
left the shed. I'm sorry. He did what?
He He went in the shed with me, you feel
me? He came in the shed with me and him.
But then after that, cud left, you feel
me? That's why I was the only in there
cuz he was like, "The police in here,
piss, cuz they about to come in here."
And they he left and I wasn't going to
just cuz wasn't going nowhere. Okay. So,
He came in there with me. He dropped all the
the
shells. And then after that, you guys
like, "Oh, the police, bro." And Frank
down and left. The detective doesn't
react, but he knows what's happening.
This is what people do when they start
feeling cornered. The story that was
solid a few minutes ago begins to crack.
Little details changing, rearranging.
Nishan had been alone. Now, suddenly, he
wasn't. He ain't tell me nothing on
everything. He was When we got in there,
he I heard I was like hearing pennies.
Like I thought it was pennies at first
cuz I didn't know what was in his hand
and I was like, "Bro, stop." I was like,
"Bro, stop before police coming or
something where they hear you." I was
like, "All right, bro." And I didn't
realize it was shells on there until
police last, you feel me? But I thought
it was something else. Like he was
playing with panties or something. I was
like, "Bro, stop." Like, "Bro, stop
playing with that, bro." He was like,
"Bro, it's my fault, bro.
And then after that, [ __ ] when the
police came, [ __ ] they were shells. So
then again, he I think he dropped his
shells and knew he was he was the police
was going to come in and just leave, you
feel me? Because he didn't tell me he
was leaving cuz I swear to God, I took a
nap. I was took a nap. And then when I
heard like the dog, I woke up and I stood
stood
up and the dog smelled me, passed me by
cuz that's what really tripped me up.
When the dog just smelled me and just
left, I was like, "What the?" White Boy
didn't just hide in the shed with him.
He brought something with him. He
thought White Boy was messing around,
playing with pennies. But now, thinking
back, he realizes it wasn't pennies. It
was shell casings. The detectives let
the silence hang for a moment, watching
Nishan piece it together in real time.
First, he was alone. Now, White Boy was
there. First, nobody gave him anything.
Now, White Boy might have dropped
something. First, he just sat in the
shed. Now, he took a nap and woke up to
police lights and a K-9 sniffing him
out. Nishan is unraveling, and the
detective knew it. The story is changing
too fast. He kept pushing, kept peeling
back these layers. Nishan is bound to
slip up again. And when he does, the
truth, whatever it is, will come
spilling out. Nishan's story takes
another turn. At first, there were no
weapons. Now, suddenly he remembers
hearing about one.
Did you ever see any guns? Did they ever
talk about the heaters they had? No,
they they had a gun in the back seat.
Tell me about that. But I don't know
what type of gun it was. That's okay. I
just he was like, "Oh, we got a gun in
the back seat." I was like, "Hold on.
Who said that? The white dude in the
back." He was like, "You know, I got the
gun in the back seat." And I was like,
"That's cool for you." And I kept
driving. Like they they wasn't I wasn't
really paying attention to that. Feel
me? I was just, you know, I got this gun
in the back seat. This gun in the back
seat. That was before. That's when I
like right when we was at the light.
Is this when the 50 pulls up or So tell
me more about that. How does that
conversation come up? I walked in like I
walked in. The detective lets him talk.
Lets him spin the story out, but the
contradictions are stacking up. First he
was alone, then white boy was there.
First no weapons. Now, there was at
least one. And the way Nishan describes
it, like he was just some guy along for
the ride, not paying attention, doesn't
sit right. Your brother was on the
phone. With who? I don't even know.
Okay. What was he saying? He was um he
was saying after he had dropped me off,
he was going to go over there. After
hours of questioning, the detective knew
they aren't getting much more from
Nishan. He's not cracking, but he's not
exactly holding steady either. His story
keeps bending, shifting, reshaping
itself under pressure. If they want
answers, they'll have to look elsewhere.
So, they move on. The next person in
line, the so-called white guy. If Nishan
was telling the truth, at least this
time, then this other teen might have
more pieces of the puzzle. Maybe his
version of events might clear things up.
Now, since he's a minor, his mother and
stepfather were present at the time of
the interview. Remember, Remy and Nishan
both denied any involvement in the
shooting, but when asked about the night
in question, the teen comes clean. Just
kind of run me through when I mention
this uh this
location. Do you know what I'm talking
about at KFax and
I25 tonight or what happened last night?
Can you take me through that just from
the beginning there? Who you were with,
what was going
on? It was my friends. We was
driving right there down Route 25,
whatever. And then we stopped and then
the car hit us in the back, smacked us,
us,
and my friend in the front, he asked the
person in the driver's seat if he could
shoot at him. And he got down and
started shooting at him. Okay. The
detective pushes for details, repeating
what he heard to make sure he's getting
it right.
I didn't hear you quite. So, if I have
this wrong, correct me. You said you
were stopped at a light. We were stopped
at a light and someone came from behind
us and smacked us with their car. Okay.
And then that's when my friend and the
passenger asked the person in the driver
if he can shoot him. And then the person
in the driver said yes. And then he
hopped out and shoot. And then he drove
off. Okay. Now the detective zeros in on
who was involved. How many people were
in the car with you? Two. So there was
how many total including yourself? Two.
Three. Three. Yeah. Okay. Where were you
seated? I was in the back seat. Okay.
Who is driving?
My friend's friend. Okay. Do you know
his name? Do you know what he looks like?
like?
Yes or no? Yes. If you saw a photo of
him, do you think you could ID him? Yep.
Okay. Can you tell me if he was black,
white, Hispanic? Black. Okay. Now, how
old was he? 19.
19.
Okay. Anything identifying about him?
Scars, marks, tattoos, facial hair, piercings
piercings
right here. Okay. What was that? He has
a big tattoo right here. Big ass tattoo
right there. Yes. The detective takes it
all in. It's a casual conversation about
murder at a traffic light. It's messy
and they'll need more to entangle it.
The car behind you guys smacked into
you. Yes. Your friend Remy asked the
driver if he could shoot this person.
Yes. Why? I don't know. You just asked
him and he said yes. Okay. And when he
started letting off, I told him to get
back in the car. Okay. Tell me more
about when Remy gets out of the car.
He pulls the chop out. When asked about
the weapon, the teen casually called it
a chop. The detective made him clarify.
So, you say the chop. I know what that
is. Aaron, your mom may know what that
is. People watching this later on may
not know what that is. What is a chop?
AR-15. AR-15. Yes. Okay.
What color was that? Black. Black. He
claimed he never got out of the car. At
any time did you get out of the car? No.
I told him to get back in the car. Okay.
And what does he do? Tell me more about
that. He just kept shooting and then he
finally got back in. Okay. Yelling at
his Okay. How many times did he shoot?
You can have like seven rounds. Okay.
Remembering the exact number of shots
fired is an odd detail to remember. The
detective leaned in. Did anybody pick up
anything there on the street? Did you
Did anybody pick up anything? Did
anything fall? Phone, bullets, anything
from the car fall out of the car that
anybody picked up?
I don't know. Okay. Then came the car
that hit them from behind. Do you
remember what kind of car smacked into
the back of you guys? It was like this
white car. White car? Yeah. It was a
white van. Like a white van? Yeah. Okay.
Do you remember if the driver of that
car was male, female, black, white,
Hispanic? I don't know. Don't know. All
I know is he just hopped out and started
shooting. I told him to get back in. The
detective let the silence sit for a
moment. Then he went back to one key
detail. The moment the car smacked into
them. The car smacked you guys from
behind. And what were you doing? I was I
was listening to music.
Okay. On what? On my phone. The car hit
them hard enough that his head bounced
off something. How hard do you think the
car smacked you from behind? Tell me
more about that. Smacked me off like
this. Hit my head. Okay. And then that's
when Remy started getting mad. And
that's when he asked him if he didn't
shoot him. And he hopped down and
started shooting at him. And then that's
when I was like, "Get in the car, [ __ ]
What are you doing? Like, okay, let's
keep going. Was there any argument, any
words exchanged before the shooting? Was
there any verbal exchange between the
person that hit you guys from behind?
Hell no. Okay. He just hopped out and
started shooting. Okay. No argument, no
threats, just immediate gunfire. It
didn't make sense. Then they moved on to
the car itself. Car you were in, how
many times you been in that car?
That was like the second time. Okay.
When was the first time? Like a couple
days before that. Okay. Whose car is it?
I don't even know. Okay, fair
enough. So, the car smacks you
guys. What do you do after Randy gets
back in the car? I told him to get in
the car and then he and then the person
driver scared it off down Kofax. Okay.
The detective didn't rush him. He let
the teen talk. Let the details spill out
naturally. They left the scene heading
down Kfax. Where do you guys go? Down
Kfax to where?
No, I don't know exactly where he went
to his auntie house, but we went down
Kofax. How far? And we we just went
straight down until when we got to like
Union. Okay. And then what do you do?
That's when we went to his auntie's
house. Okay. Where does the auntie live?
I lowkey don't remember. I was sleeping.
Okay. Were you asleep when you pulled
up? Yeah. That was another piece of the
puzzle. The teen was claiming he was
asleep again. Then they moved on to the
gun. Remy shoots. What does he do with
the AR? Puts it in the car. Where? Where
in the car? He put it in the back seat.
Okay. Where you're at? Yeah. On the left
side. All right. The detective took that
in. So the gun had been inches away from
him. He asked again where had he been
sitting. Where are you seated? On the
right side. Behind the driver or behind
Ramy? Behind the passenger. Okay. So,
you're behind Ramy. At first, he put it
he puts it in the car and he has it next
to him like right here on the floor.
Okay. And then he puts it into the back
when we're going down Kofax after the
shooting. Yeah. After we like when we
get closer to his auntie's house. Okay.
That's when I just fell asleep. I don't
even remember. Nothing else. The
detective made a note. That was three
times now the teen had claimed to be
asleep. But there was still more to ask.
At any time last night, Saturday night,
baby mama's house, driving up before he
fell asleep, did you ever handle that AR?
AR?
Meaning hold it, touch it. No. If I
printed, am I going to find your
fingerprints or your DNA on that gun?
No. Okay. I didn't handle that gun.
Okay. I might have pushed it over, but I
was not handling that gun. Okay. Because
Remy, that's his gun. All right. If they
found his prince, it would only be
because he had pushed it out of his way.
If you would have pushed it over and
touched it, what part would you have
touched? So, I know like on the top,
like on the stock, they they call it the
stock. Right here, like and then like
right here, like next to the trigger,
like you know the little piece that
comes down like this. Yes, sir. Yeah.
Like right there. Cuz I had to move it
away from me. I pushed it over. Okay.
And that's where my pinch would be.
Okay. Then the detective moved on to the
atmosphere in the car. Before you fall
asleep, what's a discussion in the car
about what just happened?
They don't even say nothing. They're not
even talking.
Okay. At any point, even after auntie's
house, do you guys talk about this? No,
cuz I got woken up to getting yelled at.
The cops were chasing us. Okay. And then
that's when we crashed, right? No one
spoke about what just happened. No
arguing, no panic, just nothing. And
then the chase. Tell me more about being
woken up. The cops are chasing you guys.
Remy was like, "Bro, the cops are
chasing us. They're behind us, bro.
They're behind us." And then I woken up
and I was sleeping in the back. And I
was like, "What?" I look behind us. And
the cop is right behind us following us.
And then the the driver starts going
fast and then the cop turns the lights
on. And then we go down this one street
and we hit a big pothole. And then
that's when the car went up and then he
lost control and then I just I don't
even remember. All I know is I just got
out the car. Okay. The next thing he
knew he was outside the wreck standing
in the street. I started walking out the block.
block.
Did you walk or run? And if he ran,
that's okay. I started walking. The
other two me. He was running. I was just
I was just jogging. I was like, "Okay."
Because like I didn't like I didn't know
he like did something. I don't know he
did something like Well, hold on a
minute. Like I didn't know like
something that bad happened. I didn't
know someone got killed. Well, but he
fired a AR into a car. What do you think
was going to happen? I don't know. Okay,
fair enough. He said he said he was
trying to aim towards the engine. Okay,
that was the excuse. That was the plan.
Take out the car, not the person inside.
But was that true? Did Remy really think
that or was it just something to say
after the fact? You walk off. Why don't
you stay there?
Because like there's guns in a car. I'm
not even going to lie to you. It was a
stolen car. I didn't know that until a
couple days before, like yesterday. So,
so that's why I was jogging. And then
Yeah. That's why you were what? I was
jogging up the street. Okay. Like I
didn't I didn't take off how they was
running cuz they was running fast. I was
just I was just like speedw walking. He
didn't sprint like the others, but he
wasn't about to stand there and wait for
the cops to grab him. Do you meet up
with either Remy or the driver? He had a
driver. Tell me about that. I met him in
when I was walking. I saw him in an
alleyway. Okay. Where was he? He was in
that little alleyway where he like he
was just in the alleyway and I just saw
him walking.
Okay. Where did you guys go? Uh I I kept
walking. I was just like there's there's
a cops all throughout the block like
Well, he tells me that he's with you. He
said that to you? Yeah. Okay. So, he
says you guys weren't in the alleyway.
Where were you guys? We was in the
alleyway. Okay.
That's where I saw him first, but then
after that, we went out of the alleyway
into like the neighborhood. Okay. Tell
me about more about going in the
neighborhood. We started walking through
like the neighborhood. Okay. Where do
you go?
I don't know over there in Lakewood, but
we were just walking around the blocks
and we just seen there was cops on every
single block. Okay. Where were you
found? I was found in the alleyway.
Okay. In a in a what?
That's the alleyway. I was just walking
down the alleyway and they they told me
to freeze and get on my knees. Let me
get to the point. Were you in a shed?
Yes or no? No. Never in a shed? No, I
wasn't in a shed. I might have been in
someone's backyard, but I was not even
[ __ ] Okay. If you were in a backyard,
who are you with? I was with the driver
here. Okay. Would you and the driver discuss?
discuss?
We didn't discuss nothing. I was just
like, "Bro, I'm not going to get in
trouble for this." And I just walked out
the alley. I was like, "I don't not
care." Like, "Bro, I didn't do Okay. But
like, what am I getting in trouble for?
For y'all dy y'all doing?" Okay. And I
apologize about earlier about the
hypothermia. That's not you. That's my
fault. Okay. So, I apologize about that.
Okay, guys. Cuz I was like, because
we're standing in the backyard and I'm
like, "Bro, you sound dumb if you think
we're going to get away. There's cops on
every single block. You sound stupid."
So, I'm like, so I'm like, he stays. He
stays there in the backyard. I'm like,
"All right, bro. Peace out." I walk out
of the alleyway. They got me. Okay. I
didn't do nothing. So, I'm obviously I'm
going to be like, "All right." freely
like the detective stepped out, leaving
the teen alone with his mom and stepdad.
There was no sugar coating it, no soft
words to ease him into what was coming.
They laid it all out in front of him.
No, now you're going to end up doing
time over someone else's voice.
How am I doing time over?
Someone died. Someone died. This isn't
This isn't It doesn't matter what you
know or what you think you didn't know.
night. Someone died. This isn't a game.
This is like a big
deal. This isn't like, oh, you stole a
car and didn't go to school. Like,
someone lost their life, dude. Behind
somebody's dumb that you was in the car
with. His stepdad piled on, calling out
the choices that got him here. Riding
around thinking that this is hot.
He He obviously doesn't give a [ __ ]
about anything. His life, his kids'
life, anybody's life apparently. And
you're hanging out with
him. Do you think he gives a Obviously
not. He This cop don't know if you you
touched that gun or not. The cops didn't
know if he touched the gun or not. Maybe
he didn't, but that wasn't the point
anymore. The point was he was tied to
something bigger than he ever expected,
and there was no walking away from it.
Now the detective returned. No longer
just asking questions. Now he had
something concrete.
This next question is important. Okay.
All right. I'm going to ask you this. Be
honest with me. Okay. Did you shoot? No.
Okay. And I'm asking you that because I
Someone independent said they saw you.
They described you to a tea in what
you're wearing that you were the
shooter. I promise I was not the
shooter. Okay. If I promise ain't going
to cut it. I was I wasn't the So bring
me up that shooting. Okay. The detective
wasn't interested in promises. He wanted
proof. And when he brought up DNA, the
teen hesitated. So again, when I swap
for DNA, am I going to find your DNA on
that trigger guard on that
rifle on that AR-15? Am I going to find
your DNA? Probably cuz I moved it. Yeah.
He had touched the gun. He had moved it.
But that didn't mean he fired it.
Someone said it was me. Yes. Yes. I'm
sitt over here real quick. Okay. Someone
said it was me. Yeah. Okay. I know I
didn't shoot. I know for a fact I didn't shoot.
The weight of the accusation started to
sink in. His mother couldn't control her
emotions any longer. Help me explain why
I should believe
you. I mean, you don't have to believe
me, but No, he has to believe me, dog.
That's the thing. He repeated it again,
almost to himself this time. He knew he
didn't shoot. Like, look, listen. Listen
to me. I know I didn't shoot that gun. I
know I didn't because he even asked
where Sean if he can shoot before he
even shot the gun and hopped out. The
detective told him point blank he wasn't
buying his whole sleeping story. A
shooting had just happened. someone was
dead and the teen expected him to
believe he fell asleep in all those
times. How many times after that have
you fallen asleep cuz you know how many
people sat in that chair and told me the
same thing you're telling me cuz I don't believe
believe
I never felt like I really fell asleep.
Well, I find it hard to believe you just
at his auntie's house. I really fell
asleep. I was like I was just laying
down in the back with a blanket sling.
So you've just witnessed a shooting that
turned into a homicide. You're going to
tell me now you fall asleep. I know you
didn't. But my point is, somebody shot
with an AR-15, a high power rifle, and
you're telling
me within an hour after, within 30
minutes, you you fall asleep? I really
did fall asleep. Like, for real, I
really like for real. Like, I really did
fall asleep in the back. Okay. And then
they woke me up saying the cops look
behind us.
Remy and Rashan. Did you ask him to
stop? Huh? Did you ask them? Yes. I was
like, "Bro, why are you going so fast?"
He was just going fast. Tell me more
about that. And he's just going fast and
he's just smacking everything in his
way. And then we get to this one the
main street and we go down. It's a hill.
Boom. Pothole flip up. I hit my head and
then I don't remember. I just hopped
out. Okay. Like all I know is I just
started like flying around in the car,
hitting my head on everything. All
right. The detective leaned in, watched
the teen closely. He really had nothing
to hide. Why did he run? Why not just
stay put when the cops showed up? If
you've done nothing wrong, just explain
to me the best you
can. Why do you leave? Why do you walk
off? Why don't you stay outside the car
when the police show up? Why do you walk
off? Cuz I thought I was going to get in
trouble for the guns. The gun was right
next to me. Okay. The AR-15 was on the
left of me. Like I told you, Remy put it
in the back and then that's when I moved
it over to the left of me. Okay. So, I
was not trying to get in trouble for two
guns that was in the car and they was
going to leave me. Okay. They was going
to leave me. They already ran. Okay.
What about the bullets? Had he picked up
any casings? How
about any casings? Any live rounds did
you pick up or have on your person or in
your position? I found some 22s on the
floor and I picked them up and put in my
pocket. Tell me more about that. That's
it. Just I found some. Okay. What did
you do with them? I put it in my pocket.
And then what'd you do with them?
Nothing. They were just in my pocket.
Okay. Did you ever see the driver who
you're calling Raan? Did you ever see
him with any ammunition or any spent
shell casings? You know what spent shell
casings are? Like after you done
shooting? Mhm. Uh I think I had the 223s.
223s.
Huh? I had the 223s from the AR-15. Who
did it? All through the car and I guess
some of them landed on him. Okay.
Did you have any? I'm not. Then came
another curveball. The detective told
him Nishan claimed the teen had casings. Okay.
Okay.
Why would he say that you had them and
you dropped them? He said I had them. Yes.
Yes.
He's lying. I never had that. Okay. I
never had no shell casing that was
empty. Okay. I only had those little 22s
that I found on the ground. The
detective let the words hang in the air.
Then, after a long pause, he stood up.
The interrogation was over. In the end,
the truth unraveled piece by piece. The
teen's story had gaps, and the
detectives knew it. But the bigger
picture was clear. Remy Cordova had
pulled the trigger that night, and
Pamela's life had been stolen in an
instant. Prosecutors later revealed
Cordova's motive. He was trying to climb
the ranks in the gang world. Remy
Cordova was accused of trying to impress
gang members when he fired at Pamela
Cabriales's car. His case was too severe
for juvenile court, so it was moved to
district court. He was charged as an
adult with first-degree murder and
firstdegree attempted murder. The second
charge came because another driver had
been in the line of fire, though they
weren't injured. In court, Remy Cordova
spoke to Pamela's family. I want y'all
to really know I feel for y'all and I
understand completely and I'm terribly sorry
sorry
for the pain that you guys feel.
Um, but I cannot take
responsibility for something that I did
not do. In November 2023, Cordova was
found guilty. He was sentenced to life
in prison with the possibility of parole
in 40 years. At just 16 years old, his
fate was sealed for decades. Nishan
Johnson, the driver that night, didn't
escape justice either. In June 2023, he
was convicted of multiple charges,
including seconddegree murder, criminal
attempt to commit manslaughter, and
vehicular eluding. He was sentenced to
35 years in prison. The third passenger,
the teen from the interrogation room,
didn't face any charges related to
Pamela's murder. His story may have been
messy, but in the end, the evidence
didn't place him at the trigger. As for
Pamela, her family refuses to let her
name fade. Her memory lives on through
her son, Leo. Both my son and I have
stages. What do you do when your child
asks you what's who's going to take care
of me if you die,
Daddy? I'm sad because I don't want to lose
lose
you. I remember going to this place with
my mommy before she died. A GoFundMe set
up for Leo's college fund raised nearly
$70,000. A testament to the love and
support she left behind. Some choices
seal your fate before you even realize
it. A gun fired. A young mother gone in
an instant. A teenager who thought he
was chasing power, but found himself
locked behind bars for life. This wasn't
just a crime. It was a ripple effect of
irreversible damage. Pamela never got to
see her son grow up. Leo will only know
his mother through pictures and stories.
And Remy, who pulled the trigger, he
traded his youth for a prison sentence
that will outlast his childhood.
Violence doesn't make anyone
untouchable. It only leaves behind the
wreckage of what could have been. If you
found this case as shocking as we did,
don't forget to like this video,
subscribe for more true crime
breakdowns, and comment your thoughts
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