Cortez man arrested in shooting

A Cortez woman was in serious condition late Friday afternoon after she was shot Thursday night with a shotgun, allegedly by the former manager of the Montezuma County Fairgrounds.

According to police reports, the incident began when Melissa Elliott, 35, of Cortez, was involved in a head-on vehicle collision with an SUV driven by Dante J. Sena, 41, also of Cortez. Sena is now an employee of the Montezuma County landfill.

Around 9 p.m., Elliott’s 2001 Pontiac Bonneville collided with Sena’s 1997 Chevy Tahoe on Fifth Street between Market and Chestnut, according to Cortez Police Chief Roy Lane. The accident was still under investigation Friday.

After the crash, Sena got out of his Tahoe and "fired at least four shots" with a 12-gauge shotgun into Elliott’s vehicle, Lane said.

He said Sena shot through the windshield, which was still intact, and also through the passenger-side window. Elliott sustained gunshot wounds to the face, neck and arm, and was rushed to Southwest Memorial Hospital by paramedics. She was airlifted to St. Mary’s Hospital in Grand Junction shortly thereafter.

A nurse at the ICU there reported that Elliott was in critical condition Friday afternoon, but would not comment further. Later, Elliott’s condition was downgraded to serious, a nurse said.

Elliott also had her throat and windpipe slashed with a knife while she was in the vehicle, Lane said.

District Attorney Joe Olt also said that Sena allegedly cut Elliott’s throat while she was in the vehicle. However, he added, Sena has not been formally charged yet.

Lane said the investigation was ongoing and refused to comment on a motive. However, he said the two were acquainted.

Sena is on felony hold for suspicion of attempted first-degree murder, following a bond advisement Friday morning, Olt said. Bond was originally set at $100,000, but then Olt’s office learned of the victim’s condition. "I believe he is being held on a no-bond," Olt said.

Formal advisement of charges will be by June 12. Further details are expected Monday, Olt said.

A resident of a nearby apartment told the Journal Friday afternoon she and her family had heard a crash Thursday night, and, about 30 seconds later, "we heard pop, pop! — like very big firecrackers."

The woman, a psychologist who refused to give her name, said she saw a man standing at the Pontiac’s passenger side, hitting at the hood "with a passion I can’t even describe. He was just annihilating that car." She thought he was perhaps armed with a bat, but later realized he was using the butt of a shotgun.

According to the woman, the man stopped suddenly and stood staring "blankly" at Elliott’s car for about five minutes. He then leaned over and put his hand on his head "like he couldn’t believe it," the witness said.

He reportedly knelt beside the car and touched Elliott’s leg before taking her out of the vehicle and over to a lawn.

Tyler Jorgensen, who lives nearby, told the Journal Friday that he saw a man pacing around the car "like he didn’t really know what to do. You could tell he was mad — really mad. When I asked if he needed any help, he said, ‘Stay back.’ I saw him take her (Elliott) over to the lawn and put her down, and he cried out he needed help . . . I really wanted to help, but I was kind of worried, considering the gunshots. It was wild and crazy."

The psychologist said her husband went to render aid to Elliott, and used towels to staunch the bleeding. Elliott apparently asked the man, "Am I going to die? I’ve got four kids."

The woman also told the Journal that she did not think the assailant had threatened anyone at the scene. He told onlookers not to come any closer and that the gun was on the ground. She also thought she heard him say, "Get her (Elliott) some help."

"He seemed in two frames of mind," the woman said. "You could tell it was deliberate. . . then he became almost docile."

Police apprehended Sena at the scene. Despite scanner accounts that sounded as though there was a pursuit, "there was no foot chase," Lane said. "Sena was directly across the street and that is where he was arrested."

He said confusion on the point may have resulted from reports that a resident in the area had heard the shooting and came out with his gun. The man then "went back down the alley to put it away," Lane said.

Sena has been with the county landfill since October 1999, according to Montezuma County Administrator Tom Weaver. He was manager of the county fairgrounds from April 1987 to September 1993 and from January 1995 to June 1999, Weaver said.

Sena to be charged in shooting

June 11, 2002

By Katharhynn Heidelberg

Journal Staff Writer

District Attorney Joe Olt is planning to charge a man accused in the shotgun and knife attack of Melissa Elliott with first-degree premeditated murder and attempted premeditated murder, Olt said Monday.

Elliott, 35, was shot and attacked Thursday night, allegedly by Dante Sena, 41, after their vehicles collided on Fifth Street. According to police, Sena fired four shots into Elliott’s Pontiac, wounding her in the face, neck and arm, and then cut her with a knife, injuring her throat and windpipe.

The mother of four remained in critical condition Monday at St. Mary’s Hospital in Grand Junction. The Journal had been advised Friday by an ICU nurse that Elliott was in serious condition; however, a hospital spokesman said she was listed in critical condition Monday afternoon. He would not provide specific details about her injuries, but they reportedly include extensive damage to her face.

Olt said the first-degree premeditated-murder charge, a Class 1 felony, is a precaution his office is pursuing. "We’re not sure of her condition. She seems to be getting better, but it’s very scary. We’re charging it so he doesn’t get off the hook. We want him to know we think what he did was wrong," Olt said.

Olt is hoping for Elliott’s full recovery. In that event, the murder charge will "go away," he said, and Sena will be tried on the attempted-premeditated-murder charge, a Class 2 felony.

Olt declined to comment on a motive, but police earlier have said the two knew each other.

Elliott’s family is distraught, Olt said. "They’re very scared. They have no idea why this happened."

Olt expected to file the charges either Monday afternoon or this morning. Sena will be advised on them in county court Wednesday at 9 a.m.

Sena was being held without bond over the weekend while the court ascertained Elliott’s condition. Upon being informed that "medical personnel were confident that her injuries would not prove fatal," Montezuma County Court Judge Christopher Leroi reset bond at $100,000.

If Sena is able to make bond, he will be placed on home detention — a condition Olt said was not customary for bond. Sena would also be prohibited from consuming drugs or alcohol and monitored accordingly, and could not possess or have access to weapons or firearms.

He is also prohibited having "any contact whatsoever with Elliott or any witness," according to a court order regarding bond filed Monday morning.

The attack is still under investigation, according to Cortez Police Department Lt. Detective Jim Shethar.

"No new information has come up," he said. "We’re just trying to correlate all that we have and finish reports. I think we have a handle on the information."

The police plan to interview Elliott when she is able to speak to them, Shethar said.

Personal note from me. From what I have heard, she had had to have a hand amputated because she used it to shield her face from the bullets. She is Blind, and will probably not be able to return to work.

They are concerned about the possiblity of infection, which is common in shot gun injuries.

Please keep her in prayer, and ping anyone else who would be willing to pray for her. Thank you.

Tracy

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