Prosecutor Show Off Brake Pad 'Trophy' Following Aguilera-Mederos Case
By Zuri Anderson
December 22, 2021
A prosecutor involved in the controversial Rogel Aguilera-Mederos case is getting backlash after a social media post shows a brake pad "trophy" celebrating the case.
Several Twitter posts are reposting a screenshot of a Facebook post from Jefferson County Deputy District Attorney Kayla Wildeman. The photo shows off a brake pad with the case number and "1-70 Crash" inscribed on a golden plate tacked to the pad.
Aguilera-Mederos, a Cuban immigrant, was sentenced to a mandatory 110 years in prison following the tragic 2019 crash in Lakewood that left four people dead, several injured, and over two dozen vehicles damaged. The driver was driving a semi-truck downhill, but the brakes reportedly failed, leading him to slam into stopped traffic on Interstate 70.
Here is a screenshot of the post: pic.twitter.com/szKlqrh0aE
— Rory Fleming (@RoryFlemingEsq) December 20, 2021
This is what Wildeman wrote in the post:
"Get yourself a trial partner as great as Trevor Mortizky. He turned a brake shoe from a semi truck into a memento. What a special gift from a truly special person. I never asked for a new bff at work, let alone one that is old enough to be my father (no offense [tongue emoji] but I sure am grateful this trial brought you into my career as both a colleague and a friend! Words will never convert how lucky I am to have gotten the opportunity to learn from you!"
The Denver Channel confirmed Moritzky is a senior district attorney who worked with Wildeman on the case.
Social media users caught wind of the post, slamming it as "tone-deaf," "tasteless," and "sick." CBS4 also reached out to District Attorney Alexis King about the post. King issued a statement noting the brake pad was used as evidence in the case. This also comes as millions of people signed a petition calling for Colorado Gov. Jared Polis to grant Aguilera-Mederos clemency.
"King added that the post was in bad taste, and does not reflect the values of her administration and had been addressed internally," according to reporters.
The League of United Latin American Citizens condemned the post, as well, calling for "immediate disciplinary action and a formal apology," according to The Denver Channel.