A Denver man has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for a string of road rage highway shootings that spanned across two Colorado counties back in August 2019.
Theodore Hrdlicka, 51, plead guilty to three counts of attempted first-degree murder extreme indifference in November 2021. Other counts were dismissed as part of the plea agreement, according to the 18th Judicial District Attorney’s Office.
L to R: Theodore Hrdlicka and Courtney Hrdlicka are pictured after their 2019 arrests. (Adams County Sheriff’s Office)
On Aug. 4, 2019, Hrdlicka and his wife, 32-year-old Courtney Hrdlicka, were in their pickup in Littleton. Courtney was seen kicking a vehicle in traffic before getting into the driver’s seat, the district attorney’s office said. Meanwhile, Theodore fired a handgun at that vehicle. Bullets hit the car, but no one was injured.
The 18th Judicial District Attorney’s Office said this happened two additional times in a short time span in Littleton. All three vehicles were hit by gunfire, but no one was injured.
Police linked the couple to similar crimes in Adams County that happened later that same day.
Theodore later said he was drunk and high at the time of the shootings, according to the 18th Judicial District Attorney’s Office. He did not have any previous contact with any of the victims.
“The fact that these acts were similar to his actions in Adams County does not diminish what happened in this case,” said Senior Deputy District Attorney Colleen Greer, the prosecutor on the case. “He indiscriminately fired a weapon toward six people here in Arapahoe County. The victims here also deserve justice.”
Arapahoe County District Court Judge Shay Whitaker sentenced Theodore to the maximum sentence possible under the plea agreement.
“What kind of person randomly fires a gun at cars with people inside?” said District Attorney John Kellner. “There is no excuse or explanation for such actions that put others at such great risk. This outcome is appropriate.”
In August 2021, Courtney plead guilty to one count of first-degree assault and was sentenced to 10 years in prison, concurrent to the same sentence in Adams County.
“The fact that these acts were similar to his actions in Adams County does not diminish what happened in this case,” said Senior Deputy District Attorney Colleen Greer, the prosecutor on the case. “He indiscriminately fired a weapon toward six people here in Arapahoe County. The victims here also deserve justice.”
Arapahoe County District Court Judge Shay Whitaker sentenced Theodore to the maximum sentence possible under the plea agreement.
“What kind of person randomly fires a gun at cars with people inside?” said District Attorney John Kellner. “There is no excuse or explanation for such actions that put others at such great risk. This outcome is appropriate.”
In August 2021, Courtney plead guilty to one count of first-degree assault and was sentenced to 10 years in prison, concurrent to the same sentence in Adams County.
This story was originally published Jan. 27, 2022 by KMGH in Denver, an E.W. Scripps Company.
