The Larimer County Sheriff’s Office announced on Apr. 21 the arrest of a suspect in connection with the October 2021 hit-and-run death of Luis “Darnell” Loma, more than four years after the incident occurred.
Loma, age 29 at the time, was found deceased on October 7, 2021, in the 2200 block of North Shields Street in Fort Collins and unincorporated Larimer County. The Larimer County Coroner identified him following a response by sheriff’s deputies to reports of a deceased person at that location. Investigators determined that Loma had been riding his bicycle when he was struck by a vehicle. Evidence suggested that the suspect vehicle was likely a gray Toyota Rav4 from model years 2009 or 2010 or a similar style SUV.
Despite initial efforts involving interviews, community tips, and extensive testing on evidence collected from the scene, investigators did not immediately identify any suspects. The sheriff’s office said its Investigations division continued to work on the case for several years using various tools and technology to identify individuals who may have been involved and systematically eliminated potential suspects through manual research.
By December 2025, authorities had identified Nicholas Sierra (DOB: May 8, 1995) of Loveland as their primary suspect. After gathering further evidence and presenting it to a judge, they obtained an arrest warrant. On April 18, deputies arrested Sierra and booked him into Larimer County Jail on charges including failure to remain at the scene/give information/aid after an accident involving death (a class three felony) and insurance fraud (a class five felony). Sierra received a $5,000 cash-only bond from Larimer County Court.
“Leaving a crash scene, especially one with injuries, is unacceptable. But leaving a devastated family to grieve without closure for years is absolutely unthinkable,” said Larimer County Sheriff John Feyen. “Our investigators never gave up on finding justice for Mr. Loma and his family. While nothing can fully heal the pain of losing this young man, I hope finally having answers brings a small measure of comfort to those who loved him.”
Anyone with additional information about this incident or suspect is encouraged to contact Investigator Stephen Gates at (970) 498-5169. Authorities noted that all charges are accusations at this stage; Sierra is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
