Longmont defendant sentenced to probation
One of the defendants charged in connection with a string of armed robberies in Longmont was sentenced to probation after entering into a plea agreement.
Nija Droessler, 22, pleaded guilty to a felony count of aggravated robbery in November.
On Friday, Droessler was sentenced to three years of probation with 90 days of day reporting and 40 hours of community service by Boulder District Judge Bruce Langer.
“I am extremely apologetic for my actions,” Droessler said. “I never meant to cause any of the harm that has been done.”
While the robbery charge was a Class 3 felony, Boulder Deputy District Attorney Taylor Suta said he felt a probation sentence was appropriate given the fact that it was Droessler’s first felony and that she took accountability.
“I think she can be managed in the community and is never in here again,” Suta said.
But Suta did ask for three years of probation rather than the two years defense attorneys requested due to the “aggravated nature” of the robberies.
According to police, Droessler and her thenboyfriend Kenny Espinoza committed a string of robberies at Longmont motels, with Espinoza armed with a BB rifle designed to look like a real gun.
Given the nature of the case, Langer agreed that three years of probation was appropriate.
“You weren’t the person with the gun, or the BB gun I guess, but you were part of something that is incredibly serious and scary, as you pointed out, for the people that were victimized,” Langer said. But Langer also gave Droessler credit for the work she had already done, and said she could apply for early termination if she fulfilled the terms of her probation.
Espinoza’s case remains pending, and he is set for an arraignment on March 31.