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Minturn shooting victim declines restraining order

Jaime Quintana makes his first court appearance Tuesday after Monday's early morning shooting. Bruce Plummer told prosecutors he is not angry with Quintana. The altercation was around 5 a.m. Monday. Looking on is Deputy District Attorney Lauren Butler.
Special to the Daily |

EAGLE — The man wounded in Monday’s pre-dawn shooting says he’s not angry and does not want the court to order the shooter to stay away from him.

Prosecutor Joe Kirwan said Bruce Plummer is not angry with Jaime David Quintana. An altercation between the two around 5 a.m. Monday culminated with Quintana firing one round into Plummer’s chest an inch above his heart. The bullet passed through Plummer and exited out his back. Plummer is in serious but stable condition at the Vail Valley Medical Center.

“The alleged victim does not want a protection order. He’s not angry with Mr. Quintana,” said Jim Fahrenholtz, Quintana’s attorney. “He has lived here all his life. He is gainfully employed and raised five children.”



“His intention is to get back to work and defend this case,” Fahrenholtz said.

There are at least two sides to every story, and Quintana will be exonerated when the facts emerge, said some of his family members. Quintana’s son, Jaime Quintana, Jr., said no one is blameless in this case.

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“My father did what he had to do to stay alive. It was an altercation, and my dad did what he had to do,” Jaime Quintana Jr. said.

The Quintana family has been in Minturn for more than 50 years and owns Quintana Trucking and Excavation. Jaime Quintana Jr. said his grandfather helped build some of Vail’s original roads.

The Quintana family has been a big part of the small town, Jaime Quintana Jr. said, going so far as to use company equipment to dig graves in Minturn, Red Cliff and Leadville for people who could not otherwise afford it.

First court appearance

Jaime Quintana made his first court appearance Tuesday, appearing before Eagle County Court Judge Katharine Sullivan. Kirwan argued for $250,000 bond, saying “the defendant has said he would kill himself before he went to prison.”

Kirwan also said Plummer told investigators, “Jaime shot me with a 9.”

The 9-mm handgun reportedly used in the shooting has not been found, Kirwan said.

Fahrenholtz asked for a $10,000 bond, saying, “It speaks volumes that the alleged victim does not want a restraining order.”

Sullivan set his bond at $100,000. Citing public safety and procedure, she also issued a restraining motion, ordering Quintana to stay away from Plummer.

“There are arguments that cut both ways. The arguments by the attorneys are thoughtful and compelling,” Sullivan said. “These are very serious charges. They are violent, and that’s a concern to the court.”

Quintana is in the Eagle County jail, booked for first degree attempted murder charges and first-degree assault. He will be formally advised during his next court appearance, at 9 a.m. on Tuesday. Sullivan gave prosecutors until Friday to file official charges.

What we know so far

According to the arrest affidavit, the shooting was in an alley behind Magusto’s, a Minturn restaurant. Plummer told Eagle County Sheriff’s detectives that he had been at home and walked to Magusto’s, where he was shot by Quintana. The shooting was reported at 5 a.m. Monday. Detectives found a single 9-mm shell casing at the scene.

Quintana was arrested around 8 a.m. when he was spotted walking along Main Street in Minturn not far from his house.

Why they were in the alley at 5 a.m. Monday remains under investigation, said Mike McWilliam, Eagle County undersheriff.

Plummer has also been a Minturn fixture for decades, working in the Minturn Saloon. He finished second in his Battle Mountain High School graduating class.

Staff Writer Randy Wyrick can be reached at 970-748-2935 and rwyrick@vaildaily.com.


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