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Garfield County man doing time for vehicular homicide dies after prison assault in Cañon City

A 23-year-old Garfield County inmate died last week after allegedly being assaulted by another inmate at the Colorado State Penitentiary in Cañon City.

According to a Monday report in the Pueblo Chieftain, Gerardo Banda died on Aug. 5 at a Colorado Springs hospital, a day after prison guards saw him being physically assaulted by inmate Glen Young, 35.

“The assault lasted approximately 15 seconds. Staff were able to secure the unit and provide medical attention to Banda, who was seriously injured,” Annie Skinner, public information officer for the Colorado Department of Corrections, told the Chieftain.



“Banda was transported by ambulance to St. Thomas More Hospital in Cañon City and was subsequently transported via Flight for Life to Penrose Hospital in Colorado Springs.”

Banda was serving a six-year prison sentence for vehicular homicide, assault and traffic-related charges resulting from a drunken driving crash on Thompson Creek Road outside of Carbondale on May 14, 2017, that took the life of 17-year-old Ayleen Ruiz Alvarado.



Six young people were in the vehicle when Banda lost control of the car on a steep downhill. The car careened into a 200-foot ravine, killing Alvarado and sending Banda and the other passengers to the hospital.

Young is serving a sentence on an interstate compact, but details of the crime were not available, according to the Chieftain report. The interstate compact allows the Colorado DOC to house inmates from other states.

Detectives with the DOC’s Office of the Inspector General are investigating the incident and will coordinate with the 11th Judicial District Attorney’s Office regarding any potential criminal charges against Young, the Chieftain reported.

Senior Reporter/Managing Editor John Stroud can be reached at 970-384-9160 or jstroud@postindependent.com.


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