Mom of man killed at Tesla charging station speaks out

JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. — The mom of a person killed at an Edgewater Tesla charging station in Could spoke out after the suspect appeared in courtroom Thursday.

Jeremy Alan Smith appeared in a Jefferson County courtroom carrying a black and white striped jumpsuit. It was the primary time Lena Fresquez Mendez had seen him since her son, Adam Fresquez, was shot and killed in Could 2023.

“And at this time, seeing him, I don’t understand how I felt,” mentioned Mendez-Fresquez.

Fresquez, 33, was shot and killed at a supercharger station on the Edgewater Public Market on Could 3, 2023.

The Edgewater Police Division mentioned the confrontation stemmed from an earlier highway rage incident. Video proof exhibits Fresquez and Smith, 39, arriving on the supercharger station inside seconds of one another. Fresquez is seen strolling towards Smith’s Tesla after which stumbling away lower than a minute later, police mentioned.

The video captured Smith pulling out of the parking house and touring east. Minutes later, Smith referred to as 911 and informed the dispatcher he had maced and shot somebody after they “pulled a gun” on him, in accordance with Edgewater police.

“He was brake checking me… and I pulled forward of him at one mild, and he acquired forward of me and was stopping in entrance of me,” Smith’s arrest affidavit quotes from his 911 name.

An post-mortem revealed Fresquez was shot within the again twice. It additionally revealed Fresquez had hint quantities of cocaine and fentanyl in his system.

Edgewater PD offered the case to First Judicial District Lawyer Alexis King on Sept. 19, the division mentioned. Within the following months, “extra gadgets of proof have been collected and submitted for forensic testing.” These outcomes have been obtained on Dec. 6.

Smith was arrested at his Denver residence on Dec. 12 for second-degree homicide and manslaughter. He’s being held on a $300,000 bond.

A Jefferson County choose postponed Thursday’s scheduled preliminary listening to till the top of February to offer Smith’s protection crew extra time to evaluate the proof.

“If we get a conviction, after he will get out, he will get to go residence along with his household, along with his mother,” Fresquez Mendez mentioned. “We’ll by no means see Adam once more.”

Smith’s protection crew claims the capturing was in self-defense following the highway race incident. The Fresquez household and advocacy teams just like the Denver Justice Venture adamantly dispute that.

“We’ve been supporting the household navigating this course of,” mentioned Casey Childers with the Denver Justice Venture.

“Adam was pepper sprayed — bear sprayed, no matter it’s — shot twice within the again and left to die,” mentioned Fresquez Mendez. “That’s why I’m so confused as to how this may very well be a self-defense case.”

Fresquez was armed on the time however didn’t hearth a shot, in accordance with Smith’s arrest affidavit. First responders from the West Metro Hearth Safety District (WMFD) discovered a handgun inside his garments, the affidavit states.

The Fresquez household is asking for an out of doors investigation of the Edgewater Police Division for its dealing with of the investigation.

“There must be some accountability for what the Edgewater Police Division has carried out,” Fresquez Mendez mentioned. “We knew it was flawed what they have been telling us, what Edgewater police have been telling us. And all we knew the right way to do was to protest.”

Smith is due again in courtroom on Feb. 28 for a proper preliminary listening to.

Mom of man killed at Tesla charging station speaks out after suspect’s courtroom look