Two youngsters had been arrested and charged with first-degree homicide within the drive-by taking pictures dying of 19-year-old Dacien Salazar exterior Denver’s Downtown Aquarium in February.
Antonio Vasquez, 19, and Jason Trujillo Jr., 17, had been arrested Could 1 and charged with first-degree homicide, three counts of first-degree tried homicide and three sentence-enhancing counts for violent crime, in accordance with court docket information.
Vasquez and Trujillo had been recognized as suspects by way of a months-long police investigation involving gang-related social media threats, surveillance video, ballistic stories and cellphone location knowledge, in accordance with a redacted arrest affidavit.
Salazar and two associates drove from Pueblo to Denver on Feb. 14 to go to the aquarium at 700 Water St.
Because the group left the aquarium about 3 p.m., a black sedan pulled up, and an individual within the again seat sporting a black masks began taking pictures at them, witnesses advised police.
Salazar was struck a number of instances and brought to Denver Well being medical heart, the place he was pronounced lifeless. The 2 different individuals weren’t harm within the taking pictures.
Pals of Salazar advised police he “had lots of people that had been after him” and shared screenshots of gang members threatening him on Fb, together with threats from Trujillo, in accordance with the affidavit.
Police redacted the identify of the gang, the threats towards Salazar and particulars of a associated taking pictures in Pueblo from the affidavit.
Investigators recognized the automobile used within the drive-by taking pictures, a 2014 Chevy Malibu, and a short lived license plate by way of surveillance video within the space and related it to Vasquez, who lives in Pueblo.
Detectives additionally obtained search warrants for cellphones with Pueblo space codes close to the aquarium on the time of the taking pictures and located an unlisted quantity that additionally they related to Vasquez.
Police then used license-plate reader knowledge to trace the automobile to a lodge at a redacted location and located surveillance video of two males leaving the lodge shortly earlier than the taking pictures, one among whom was carrying a masks.
Vasquez’s cellphone additionally left the lodge at the moment and traveled to the aquarium, then to Colorado Springs and again to the lodge, in accordance with the affidavit.
Trujillo was recognized by way of an nameless tip to Crime Stoppers and on the lodge surveillance video by a Pueblo police detective.
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