Adams County man sentenced to 42 years for fatal shooting
Daniel Ramirez Ayala received the sentence on October 30 for the 2025 killing of Jose Dominguez Moranchel.
By Diego Mendoza ·
Adams County District Court Judge Jeffrey Dean Ruff sentenced Daniel Ramirez Ayala to 42 years in prison on October 30. The 21-year-old man was convicted of second-degree murder on August 24 for a 2025 shooting that killed another man. Court records show the sentence was handed down less than three months after the jury verdict.
The fatal incident occurred in June 2025 at a house party in unincorporated Adams County, north of Denver. The location was near 77th Avenue and Gilpin Street. Officials from the 17th Judicial District Attorney’s Office stated that Ramirez Ayala shot 31-year-old Jose Dominguez Moranchel during a dispute outside the residence.
Prosecutors said an argument among guests escalated into a physical fight. Ramirez Ayala pulled out a handgun during the scuffle. Adams County deputies discovered Moranchel lying in the street with gunshot wounds to his left shoulder and the front of his neck. He died at the scene before medical personnel could save him.
District Attorney Brian Mason issued a statement on Monday describing the event as a preventable tragedy. He noted that the confrontation ended in gunfire, causing a family to lose a loved one. Mason said the community was permanently changed by the act of violence.
Defense attorney Robert Bernhardt argued that Ramirez Ayala acted in self-defense. Bernhardt stated that his client was at the party with a friend and had been drinking. He said the host asked Ramirez Ayala to leave and escorted them outside while they waited for a ride.
Bernhardt claimed that Moranchel and a friend ran out of the party and began attacking Ramirez Ayala. The defense contended that Moranchel held a knife and attempted to stab the defendant. Bernhardt said Ramirez Ayala pulled out a gun, but it fell from his hands, and both men reached for it.
“He was legitimately concerned for his life … It was a split-second thing,” Bernhardt said. He added that Ramirez Ayala believed he would be killed if he did not defend himself. Prosecutors said the defendant fled the scene and discarded the weapon. Deputies stopped and arrested him on Interstate 25, where he admitted to firing the gun during the fight. Bernhardt said the case will likely be appealed.
