Greeley Man Gets 20 Years for String of Armed Robberies in Early 2019

Published on November 13, 2019

GREELEY, Colo. (Weld County D.A.) – A Greeley man was sentenced to two decades in prison for a string of armed robberies at Greeley homes.

A judge sentenced 28-year-old Vito Mata to 20 years in the Colorado Department of Corrections late last month.

In February, the Greeley Police Department began investigating the first of a string of armed robberies at homes throughout Greeley.

On February 3, a 71-year-old man reported that he had been robbed at gunpoint inside his central Greeley apartment.

The male told police that a female knocked on his front door the evening of February 3. When he opened it, a male, who was later identified as Mata, rushed in with a gun, aimed it at him and demanded money and other valuable items.

Mata and the female suspect got away with more than $6,000 in cash and other miscellaneous items.

On February 9, two more men reported to police that they had also been robbed at gunpoint inside their Greeley home.

They told police that they were inside when a female knocked at the front door. When they opened the door, the female forced her way in and demanded money.

Several minutes later, the defendant showed up to the home and held a gun to their heads and demanded their wallets.

During that robbery, Mata and the female suspect got away with approximately $200 in cash as well as a $200 paycheck from one of the victims’ employer.

On February 15, an employee at the Greeley Old Navy store reported that two males stole several pairs of jeans and ran from the store. One of the men was later identified as Mata.

A few hours later, another man called police to report that he had also been robbed at gunpoint at his Greeley home. The victim told police that a female and male lured him outside and that the male hit him in the head with a pistol and demanded money.

Mata and the female suspect got away from that home with the victims’ cell phone.

On February 16, another male victim called police from a neighbor’s home saying that he and his roommate had just been robbed at gunpoint by two men inside their Greeley trailer.

The men got away with both of the victims’ cell phones, a rifle and roughly $1,000.

Chief Deputy District Attorney Anthony Perea prosecuted this case.