The man found guilty of causing the death of Fountain police officer Julian Becerra was sentenced to 132 years behind bars on Thursday.

Devon Bobian, 34, was found guilty at a jury trial in May 2024 on five charges for leading multiple law enforcement agencies on a car chase throughout El Paso County that resulted in Becerra’s death. The convicted charges included second-degree murder, aggravated robbery, vehicular eluding, motor vehicle theft and felony menacing. 

Bobian attempted to flee law enforcement on foot after the car pursuit on Feb. 2, 2023. It was during that attempt to flee that Becerra fell off a 40-foot bridge. Becerra died Feb. 11 from his injuries after nine days in a coma.  

A separate but connected trial last month found that Bobian was a habitual criminal due to his prior felony convictions in Colorado. Any defendant in Colorado convicted of a crime with at least three previous felony convictions can be considered a habitual criminal and see their maximum sentence quadrupled. Bobian had four prior convictions.

The prosecution requested the maximum sentence possible of 132 years behind bars. The defense asked for the minimum sentence of 96 years in prison.

Judge Chad Miller agreed with the prosecution. Bobian received 96 years in prison for the second-degree murder charge merged with the robbery count, 12 years in prison to run at the same time as the 96 years, 12 years for vehicular eluding and 24 years for motor vehicle theft, both to run consecutively to the other sentences.

Bobian was one of three defendants charged in Becerra’s death. Bobian, Anthony Vallejos and Daniesha Pacheco were arrested in February 2023, according to previous Gazette reporting.

Miller read several victim impact statements ahead of Thursday’s hearing, but nearly a dozen others addressed the court in person to request the maximum sentence.

Fountain police detective Isaac Abila said that while he forgives Bobian, he is still grieving to this day the loss of his friend.

“Without hesitation, I would trade places with JB,” Abila said. “I have no doubt if it had been me, or anyone else, he would’ve said the same thing without hesitation.”

Abila asked for no leniency from the court when it came to sentencing.

Chief Mark Cristiani also addressed the court prior to Miller handing down the sentence. On behalf of his entire department, he requested the maximum sentence.

“This crime did not end a single life; it devastated many … they understood the sacrifice he made,” Christiani said. “Justice will never bring him back to us, justice, though, can affirm the value of Julian’s life.”

During his nine days in the hospital, officers sat with Becerra each day; Christiani said they felt they needed to be there.

“The day we could talk to him never came,” Christiani said.

It was an emotional scene inside the courtroom on Thursday, with those in the gallery spotting passing tissues to one another with tears in their eyes. Many reached for the hands of others for support and comfort during the victim impact statements.

Katie Alderman, Becerra’s widow, started crying immediately when she took the stand. Speaking between shaky breaths and through tears, she called Becerra her best friend and the best father.

“I can’t quantify what losing him meant to us and the effect it’s had on our lives,” she said.

Alderman expressed gratitude to everyone who supported her family since that fateful day, especially her son, who was very young at the time of his father’s death.

“He will never have his own memories of his father … he will never know what his laugh sounded like,” she said.

Gabriel Becerra, Julian Becerra’s father, spoke on behalf of himself and his wife. He was extremely emotional when he took the stand with tissues clutched in his hand.

“It was the hardest night of our lives to drive 10 hours from Oklahoma City to here to go see Julian in a coma,” Gabriel Becerra said. “It’s a horrendous, horrible thing for a parent to have to do.”

“He was the heart and spirit of our family,” Becerra added. “He is with us every day in our hearts.”

Julian Becerra had two children with his wife, a son and a daughter, and also leaves behind a brother and a sister, Gabriel Becerra said. The entire family is working their way through the grief.

Becerra was reportedly an organ donor, and his heart, kidneys and liver were able to be donated after his death, according to obituary postings.

Anna Kraft, Becerra’s sister, called her brother’s death an “act of pure selfishness.” Kraft said she was very close with Becerra despite the two living in different states, and the pair called each other often. She added that those phone calls were the “light of my children’s day.”

“He made me proud to be his sister because of the man he had become,” Kraft said. “I miss his laugh so much.”

Mary Palmer, the victim of the motor vehicle theft and menacing, also took the stand. She spoke about how the incident impacted her while sending her thoughts and prayers to Becerra’s family.

“I thought I would be able to get through it on my own, after testifying (in trial), I realized that was not the case. Going back into that courtroom (was hard),” Palmer said. “I’ve dealt with so much fear, guilt and embarrassment over the last few years.”

Becerra’s father-in-law, Rock Alderman, also spoke briefly, saying Becerra not only wore the uniform but also wore the values behind it.

“I was proud every day that my daughter found such a remarkable man,” Alderman said. “Our family’s future was brighter because he was in … but that future was violently taken from us.”

While Bobian declined to address the court Thursday, his sister, Victoria Palma, spoke briefly, asking for compassion and fairness in sentencing, while saying Bobian is more than what the headlines made him out to be.

“We understand the seriousness of what has happened,” Palma said. “Devon’s story is bigger than this moment.”

The 4th Judicial District Attorney’s Office held a press conference following the hearing, during which District Attorney Michael Allen spoke about Bobian’s sentencing and gave thanks to everyone who worked on the investigation.

“Today is the end of a nearly three-year march toward justice,” Allen said. “But justice was achieved. For Julian’s family and those brothers and sisters in blue, today marks just another step in the healing process.”

Alongside Allen’s comments, both Gabriel Becerra and Katie Alderman said that Thursday was a “good day” for their family.

“Today has been a really good day,” Katie Alderman said with a soft smile on her face. “It’s been a really long journey, but there is some light at the end of our tunnel, and some solace today.”