PUEBLO, Colo. (KOAA) — The Pueblo Police Department (PPD) says that two men have been arrested following an armed robbery on Friday evening.
At 4:55 p.m. on Friday, police were sent to the US Bank (1130 Bonforte Boulevard) after receiving a report that two people entered the bank with guns; one had a rifle, and the other had a shotgun.
The suspects were demanding money, and staff handed over an undisclosed amount of cash.
Before they left, they stole a customer's car keys. However, PPD says the suspects struggled to operate a newer car and instead entered a nearby restaurant to find another car.
After failing to find a car at the restaurant, they tried to steal a third car that was occupied by a mother and child, but the mother refused to leave the car without her kids, so the suspects got in the back seat with the family still inside.
The mother still refused to leave her car, so the suspects left her car and fled in opposite directions on foot.
Officers were arriving in the area at this time and were able to locate both suspects and discover both weapons used during the robbery.
The suspects, 49-year-old Mario Lucero and 24-year-old Esai Maestas-Torres, were booked into the Pueblo County Jail on the following charges;
- Aggravated Robbery (3 counts)
- Attempted Aggravated Robbery (2 counts)
- Possession of a Weapon by a Previous Offender
- Restraining Order Violations.
Lucero was charged with False Reporting of Identifying Information to Law Enforcement Authorities, and Esai was charged with Possession of a SCH II Controlled Substance.
Both have criminal histories, and Esai is scheduled to be sentenced on April 2, 2026, for charges unrelated to the robbery.
"It defies logic that a person convicted of First-Degree Assault on a police officer, a very serious violent crime, would be released back into our community to commit further violent crime. This speaks to the breakdown of our criminal justice system that places the feelings of suspects and convicted felons above the safety of our residents, and it must change. Dozens of our citizens were unnecessarily victimized and traumatized by these criminals."
Celtic Legacy band seeks answers after being removed from the Colorado Renaissance Festival's lineup
After 38 years of performing at the Colorado Renaissance Festival, Celtic Legacy was not asked back for this summer's event, leaving the band and its fans searching for answers.
____
Watch KOAA News5 on your time, anytime with our free streaming app available for your Roku, FireTV, AppleTV and Android TV. Just search KOAA News5, download and start watching.
