Posted on 10/03/2002 11:28:59 PM PDT by Draakan
A man charged with trying to kill one of Colorado's best-known good Samaritans was sentenced to 17 years in prison Wednesday.
Justin Goetz, 22, went to the Golden home of Jaquie Creazzo about 2 a.m. Nov. 11 after a breakup with Creazzo's 19-year-old daughter.
Goetz was armed with a revolver, a pistol, a shotgun and several hundred rounds of ammunition.
He set fire to two Mustangs in front of the home to lure the family out. When Creazzo and three daughters came out, he shot a gun into the air and Creazzo fired back, wounding him in the leg.
Creazzo is paralyzed from the chest down after being shot in 1994 while trying to rescue a woman who had been abducted and raped.
She was carrying a 9mm pistol in November because Goetz had threatened the family.
Creazzo said she shot Goetz because he fired one shot and then trained his weapon on her daughters, who were running for cover behind a firetruck.
"When I fired, I was certain at that point he meant to hurt them," she said.
Goetz's attorney, Conrad Gardner, said Goetz planned to kill himself to demonstrate his love for Hannah Creazzo.
"He would commit suicide and then she would realize the extent of his love," Gardner said.
Goetz, initially charged with attempted first-degree murder, first pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity but this summer pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of first-degree assault in a plea bargain.
His family and attorney said he has struggled with diabetes all his life and has a borderline personality disorder. Psychiatrist Robert Miller said he intended to commit "suicide by police" by causing police to shoot him at Creazzo's home.
But Judge Frank Plaut said he didn't believe that.
"You don't need to take 50 rounds of target practice immediately before an incident like that if you mean to take your own life," he said. "If Jaquie Creazzo had not been armed and not used her weapon, the consequences might have been much worse and we would be dealing with sentencing on multiple homicide instead of first-degree assault."
Creazzo said Goetz deserved the maximum 32-year sentence. "I am disappointed," she said.
"In the three years I knew him, I saw someone who was very angry and used his illness to manipulate people around him. Whenever he does something, people say his blood sugar was off. It's about time he takes responsibility for his actions."
Creazzo said she was also worried that Goetz might seek revenge. "I worry that when he gets out he will hold a grudge and come back and try to hurt Hannah," she said.
Goetz told the judge he was sorry. "I simply lost control of myself. At that point I felt like I couldn't live anymore. I was not trying to seek revenge on Hannah."
Security was heavy in the Jefferson County courtroom because
Goetz had told deputies he would "go off" in the courtroom if he did not get a minimum sentence. However, he left the courtroom without incident.
linsdays@rockymountainnews.com or (303) 892-5181
Please remember this when you vote!
Sure, they stopped him this time, but what if he had a revolver, a derringer, an automatic, a zip gun, a Saturday Night Special, AND a pistol. Then he would've been simply unstoppable...
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