A 20-year-old Arvada man will spend the next 32 years behind bars for breaking into his ex-girlfriend's home with two accomplices, holding a baby and other occupants at gunpoint, and beating the 16-year-old girl so badly she needed hospital treatment for a fractured cheekbone. Benjamin Isaiah Lovato pleaded guilty to first-degree assault, first-degree burglary as a crime of violence, and aggravated retaliation against a witness or victim after prosecutors said he targeted the teen specifically because she had reported his prior domestic abuse to police and agreed to testify against him.
The First Judicial District Attorney's Office announced the sentence, which stemmed from a March 2024 attack in which Lovato and two accomplices broke into the girl's Arvada home through a window, according to the office. Video evidence showed Lovato pistol-whipping and punching the victim and dragging her by her hair, as reported by KDVR. The victim, who met Lovato when she was 15, was left with a fractured cheekbone, facial lacerations, and loose teeth, and was taken to a hospital for treatment.
A Pattern of Intimidation Before the Attack
Chief Deputy District Attorney Ali Brady, who co-led the prosecution, told the court the case centered on “a victim, a child, who refused to be silenced despite repeated attempts to intimidate her,” praising her for breaking the cycle of violence, per the district attorney's office. One of the accomplices recorded the assault, and Lovato later shared the video and bragged about the attack, according to Chief Deputy District Attorney Holly Spease, who called it “truly an evil attack.”
Spease said Lovato had a documented pattern of abuse, intimidation, and retaliation against the victim, and referred to her as a “rat” for cooperating with law enforcement. Prosecutors presented evidence that Lovato made statements about further retaliation while he was in custody, KDVR's report notes, which factored into Spease's push for the maximum 40-year sentence.
Guilty Plea Came Weeks Before a Third Trial Date
Lovato entered his guilty plea in June, just two weeks before his third scheduled trial date, closing out more than two years of court proceedings under a plea agreement that carried a mandatory 20-to-40-year sentencing range, according to the district attorney's office. Jefferson County District Court Judge Phillip McNulty ultimately handed down 12 years for burglary, 12 years for assault, and 8 years for retaliation against a witness or victim.
Under Colorado Revised Statutes § 18-1.3-406, a conviction classified as a crime of violence — which burglary committed with a deadly weapon automatically triggers — requires mandatory prison time in an aggravated range and bars probation or a suspended sentence, according to FindLaw. Separately, aggravated retaliation against a witness or victim under C.R.S. § 18-8-706 is a Class 3 felony that applies when a perpetrator uses a deadly weapon or inflicts bodily injury on someone who reported a crime or agreed to testify, the same statute notes.
Victim, Now 18, Addressed the Court
The victim, now 18, attended the sentencing hearing and gave a statement to the court, saying she survived the abuse, found her voice, and built strong boundaries. Judge McNulty commended her courage to step forward and push for justice, according to KDVR's account of the hearing. Suspects fled the scene after the attack, and the victim is still recovering from some of her injuries.
A Multi-Agency Manhunt Led to Arrest
The investigation and eventual arrest were carried out through a partnership between the Arvada Police Department and the RAVEN Task Force, a multi-agency metro Denver operation co-led by federal and local authorities that targets violent gun offenders, according to the City of Aurora. The task force pools resources from dozens of police departments, sheriff's offices, state corrections, and federal agencies including the ATF. In 2024 alone, RAVEN opened 64 violent crime cases across metro Denver and seized 151 illegal firearms, per Sentinel Colorado.
Case Reflects a Statewide Surge in Domestic Violence Deaths
Lovato's case lands amid a troubling statewide trend. A 2025 report by the Colorado Domestic Violence Fatality Review Board found that 72 people died in domestic violence homicides across Colorado in 2024 — a 24% jump from 2023 — even as overall state homicides fell nearly 17%, according to The Colorado Sun. Data compiled by Violence Free Colorado and state fatality reviewers shows firearms are involved in 86% of the state's domestic violence homicides, a statistic that echoes the gunpoint tactics used during the Arvada break-in.
Colorado voters responded in November 2024 by passing Proposition KK, a 6.5% excise tax on firearms and ammunition projected to generate roughly $30 million annually for domestic violence shelters and victim support programs, the Sun reported, noting that federal Crime Victims Fund grants to the state had dropped 75% between 2018 and 2025. The First Judicial District Attorney's Office, led by District Attorney Alexis King, prosecutes felony cases across Jefferson and Gilpin counties, handling more than 53,000 combined court cases annually for a region of over 580,000 residents.
The criminal case against Lovato is now resolved, but questions remain about the two accomplices who took part in the home invasion and reportedly recorded the attack. Their identification and prosecution have not been detailed in available court records.
