Steamboat Pilot & Today

Steamboat Springs — An 18-year-old Hayden man was sentenced Tuesday to five days in jail and two years of unsupervised probation and ordered to read a book about hazing and write letters of apology to the families of the boys he branded with a heated coat hanger in March.

Willy Najera pleaded guilty in June to felony menacing with a simulated weapon and third-degree assault for his role in the branding incident. Najera originally faced charges of felony menacing and assault with a deadly weapon.

Najera was one of four Hay-den teens who branded four other teenage boys with heated coat hangers at an unsupervised house party in March.

The teens threatened the victims not to tell their parents or other authorities about the branding.

School officials found out about the incident two days later after students began talking about it, which spurred a police investigation.

During Najera's sentencing hearing Tuesday, Routt County District Judge Shelley Hill ordered Najera to perform 120 hours of community service, attend anger management classes, write letters of apology to the victims' families and read a book about hazing.

The three other teens charged in the incident accepted plea agreements similar to what was offered to Najera. Their names are not being released because they are younger than 18.

Each teen pleaded guilty to third-degree assault and menacing, and most likely will be sentenced to five days in jail and two years of unsupervised probation and will be ordered to perform 120 hours of community service and complete anger management courses.

The three teens are scheduled for sentencing in Routt County District Court on Aug. 25.