A judge denied a request to lower the bail for a man charged with shooting and injuring Denver Broncos wide receiver Josh Reynolds last month. The decision came after prosecutors said the suspect, Luis Mendoza, had followed Reynolds and two other men into a strip club, then followed them out and fired shots into their SUV.
“This was a violent, vicious attack on the citizens of Denver County,” prosecutor Holly MacDonald told Denver County Court Judge Andre Rudolph, asking him to keep Mendoza’s bail at $300,000 in cash. “This was a coordinated, organized assault on three victims, largely with Mr. Mendoza being the one coordinating this attack.”
Prosecutors said at least 30 rounds were fired into the vehicle carrying Reynolds and his companions.
Mendoza’s lawyer, Beth Drombroski, argued that Mendoza should be granted bond so he could take care of his 8-year-old daughter and wife, who is about to have a life-changing operation, according to The Denver Post.
Mendoza, 35, and Burr Charlesworth, 42, face six counts of attempted murder, assault, and other felonies. They are scheduled to appear in court again on Dec. 16.
A third person was arrested last week on suspicion of attempting to influence a public servant, which is a low-level felony, police told the Post.
Reynolds was shot on Oct. 18 after leaving Shotgun Willies, a strip club in Glendale, at about 2:45 a.m. Mendoza and people in at least three vehicles chased Reynolds’ SUV before firing dozens of shots into the Ford Bronco, according to McDonald.
The Bronco was disabled by gunfire on the side of Interstate 25, and Reynolds and the other two men ran away before calling 911.
Reynolds was shot in the left arm and the back of the head, and another man was shot in the back, according to court records. A third person was injured by shattered glass, and all three men had cuts from climbing over a fence to escape.
The Broncos described Reynolds’ injuries as minor, but coach Sean Payton said Reynolds was “pretty shaken up” by the incident.
Reynolds was placed on injured reserve after breaking a finger in a game against Las Vegas on Oct. 12, which is why he was not with the team in New Orleans when the shooting occurred.
Reynolds, in his ninth NFL season and his first with Denver, signed a two-year, $9 million contract last offseason. He has played in five games, starting one, and has caught 12 passes for 183 yards and one touchdown.
