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.

Your update confirms what my sister reported back to me today. She lives in Cortez and because of her involvement in various community things knows quite a few people (not to mention the fact that Cortez is still a relatively small town even with the growth of the last few years). Here is what she emailed to me regarding this tragedy:

Sorry I haven't checked my e-mail lately I have been doing closings for the past two weeks while Liz is gone. That story is pretty interesting, I don't know either of them, but they were having an affair with each other and I am not sure what got into him. You probably heard that he first ran into her car then he shot her 4 times with a shot gun, one shot blew out her eye, the other one got her jaw, one missed and the other one she was holding her hands over her face to protect her and shot her arm. I have gotton several stories on how she is doing so what is true I really don't know. I have heard that they had to remove her eye so she will be legally blind and somebody said they had to amputate her arm. She went into surgery yesterday to try to fix her jaw I believe so she can eat. I know she commented after he slit her throat "am I going to live because I have 4 children" pretty sad story. I guess that is just another reason why you shouldn't have affairs.

Continued prayers for this lady and her family.

Sena advised on attempted-murder charge

By Katharhynn Heidelberg

Journal Staff Writer

Cortez, CO, June 13 - Dante Sena, the Cortez man accused of shooting Melissa Elliott one week ago, was advised on a charge of first-degree attempted murder charge, a felony, in county court Wednesday.

Judge Christopher Leroi read Sena his rights and the charge. Sena quietly replied, "No, sir," when Leroi asked if he had any questions.

District Attorney Joe Olt had originally planned to charge Sena with both attempted and first-degree premeditated murder, but changed his mind late Monday when he had greater assurance that Elliott, who was severely wounded in the shooting, would not die.

If convicted of attempted murder, Sena will face between eight and 24 years in prison. He could also be fined up to $1 million.

According to Olt, if exacerbating circumstances can be proven, the sentence could be as much as 48 years.

The shooting occurred last Thursday night when separate vehicles driven by Elliott, 35, and Sena, 41, who were acquainted, collided on Fifth Street, reportedly as a result of him deliberately ramming her car. Nearby residents said they heard the collision, followed by gunfire, as Sena allegedly got out of his vehicle with a shotgun and fired into Elliott's car through the windshield.

Police have revised their earlier report that four shots were fired. "There were three shots," said Cortez Police Detective Sgt. Jim Shethar.

Elliott was wounded in the face, neck and arm, and also sustained a knife injury in her throat area. She was in critical condition for several days at St. Mary's Hospital in Grand Junction, but her condition has since stabilized, according to several reports.

"She's holding her own," her father-in-law Lonnie Elliott told the Journal before court Wednesday. "But it's an uphill battle."

Reportedly, Melissa Elliott was due for surgery on her arm Wednesday, and there were concerns about an apparent infection.

Rumors about the victim's condition haven't helped matters, according to her mother-in-law, Louise. "They (medical professionals) say she's going to make it," she said Wednesday.

"She (Elliott) is never going to recover from this," Shethar said Tuesday, speaking of potential long-term damage to Elliott's quality of life and her emotional well-being. He could not comment about her specific injuries.

Police have declined to comment on a motive for the attack.

According to court records, in 1997 Sena, who at the time was manager of the Montezuma County fairgrounds, received a deferred judgment for domestic violence. A deferred judgment is issued when the accused pleads guilty to charges, and "keeps his nose clean," explained Olt.

Conditions of deferral can include payment of fines, abstaining from alcohol, having no traffic violations, tickets, etc. The conditions of Sena's deferment were not available as of press time.

A preliminary hearing concerning the attempted first-degree murder charge has been set for July 10 at 2:30 p.m.

Cards may be sent to Melissa Elliott care of St. Mary's Hospital, 2635 N. Seventh St., Grand Junction, CO 81501.

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