Court hears harrowing story of survival

Shot in face by ex-husband and driving a smashed car, woman manages to escape

Moments after shooting his ex-wife in the face as she attempted to flee him, a Calgary man dragged her through the bullet-shattered window of her car and tried to strangle her, court heard Thursday.

Reading from a statement of agreed facts, Crown prosecutor Kirsti Binns described the harrowing experience Angelika Glegocinski endured at the hands of her former lover.

Binns said Ulises Boris Quinteros tried to murder Glegocinski before fleeing to Ontario and attempting to arrange boat passage to the U.S.

The woman’s ordeal began early Aug. 24, 2014, when Quinteros followed her from downtown Calgary to the intersection of Crowchild Trail and Twelve Mile Coulee Road N.W.

There, he pulled up beside her in the dual left-turn lanes, rolled down his passenger-side window and pointed a gun at Glegocinski, Binns told Justice William Tilleman.

“The accused fired the gun at Glegocinski, shattering her driver’s-side window with the bullet striking her in the upper arm,” Binns said.

The victim panicked, first reversing her Jeep Cherokee before realizing she was trapped, and then fleeing by running the red light.

Quinteros, who pleaded guilty to attempted murder with a firearm, followed her to a nearby neighbourhood where he fired at least three more shots.

“One of those bullets struck her in the face,” the prosecutor said, with the other two striking the driver’s-side door. Quinteros also rammed her Jeep with his BMW before Glegocinski fled once again.

But she once again found herself boxed in and, after conducting a U-turn, was rammed two or three more times, rendering her SUV inoperable.

“The accused also shot at least once more at Glegocinski, with at least one bullet entering the driver’s side door, just below the window,” Binns said.

Quinteros then walked toward the Jeep, as Glegocinski locked her door.

“That was futile, as the driver’sside window had already been shot out.”

Quinteros reached through the broken window and tried to strangle her as she fought back. He then reached over her, undid her seatbelt, pulled her from the vehicle by the neck and tried choking her.

“He was having trouble because Glegocinski was fighting back and his hands kept slipping because of all the blood,” said Binns.

At one point Quinteros said, “I can’t believe all the bullets missed” and “how come I can’t kill you today?”

With police sirens approaching, Glegocinski managed to escape and Quinteros drove home in his damaged car, leaving a debris trail along Twelve Mile Coulee Road.

Glegocinski was taken to Foothills Hospital where doctors found one bullet lodged in her arm. “The other bullet went into her left cheek, above her upper palate, and exited under her eye,” Binns said.

Meanwhile, Quinteros, with the assistance of a co-worker, fled to Ontario, where he was nabbed by the Ontario Provincial Police.

“The accused was arrested by members of the OPP after they were contacted by Robert Ambs (the brother of Quinteros’ former girlfriend).

“Ambs had received a phone call from the accused, who requested a boat ride across the USA-Canada border.”

Ambs then Googled Quinteros’ name and learned he was wanted by police.

At defence lawyer Alain Hepner’s request, Quinteros will undergo a psychological assessment before sentencing.