EBS STAFF
In the early morning of Feb. 10, 2024, two individuals were separately attacked with sharp weapons in downtown Bozeman resulting in serious injuries. After a long investigation, two men have been sentenced.
A press release from the Gallatin County Attorney’s Office announced the sentencing of Santiago Machado Echeverri and Andres Felipe Lara Gonzalez, each receiving 25 years for the violent assaults. In the 14 months since the incident, the men have been held in the Gallatin County Detention Center on $300,000 bond.
Both have been served with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement warrants and held under an Immigration and Nationality Act program that “allows specially trained local officers to serve and execute federal immigration warrants for civil immigration violations within detention facilities,” the release stated. “The program aims to enhance public safety by enabling quicker transfer of removable individuals to ICE custody after local criminal proceedings.”
ICE holds will remain in place as Echeverri and Gonzalez are sent to the Montana State Prison, and ICE will be notified to take them into custody upon their release from prison, the release added.
“Today’s sentencing is a reflection of our unwavering commitment to justice,” Gallatin County Attorney Audrey Cromwell stated in the release. “Violent crimes such as this will not be tolerated in our community.”
Investigation involves 26 regional officers
The pair of victims, noted as Gallatin Valley residents, were assaulted after 1:30 a.m. on Feb. 10, 2024.
The first incident took place around 1:37 a.m. near Bozeman and Olive streets, where a victim was attacked by suspects after their SUV struck a street sign. The suspects attacked with edged weapons, causing severe lacerations to the victim’s face, shoulder, thigh and hand.
Roughly four minutes later, a second attack occurred near First Security Bank at Bozeman and Babcock streets. The victim, who had earlier been involved in a verbal altercation with suspects outside the Rocking R Bar, was pursued and attacked by the same male suspects, resulting in multiple stab wounds including a deep laceration to his neck.
Surveillance footage and investigation led by Bozeman Police Department Detective Thomas Lloyd identified the suspect vehicle as a silver Nissan SUV with Idaho license plates, and confirmed the suspects’ involvement. Echeverri and Gonzalez were arrested following “a coordinated law enforcement operation,” and Gonzalez later confessed to participating in both assaults—including admission of using a wood chisel as a weapon, with Echeverri wielding a box cutter.
Both suspects admitted to attempting to clean the blood from their vehicle and disposing of the weapons, according to the release. Both pled guilty to two counts of assault with a weapon and one count of tampering with evidence, all felonies.
The Gallatin County Attorney’s Office commended the Bozeman Police Department, Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office, Montana State University Police Department and Belgrade Police Department for “thorough and coordinated investigative efforts,” listing 26 total officers for their contributions.
