A 34-year-old Leadville man was sentenced to prison for murdering his girlfriend in January 2021.
Jesus Alejandro Artica pleaded guilty to second-degree murder on July 7th and was sentenced yesterday to 36 years in prison.
On January 12, 2021, authorities with the Leadville Police Department and Lake County Sheriff’s Office responded to a townhome after receiving a call from a person saying he had just shot somebody.
When law enforcement arrived, Artica walked outside with his hands up and was arrested.
Authorities found his girlfriend, 35-year-old Yolanda Lacome, in one of the units. She had been shot in the head, but was alive.
She later died of her injuries at St. Vincent Health Center.
The district attorney’s office said Artica has a lengthy criminal history and had been charged with theft, drug and alcohol use, domestic violence and assault. At the time of the murder he was on parole.
