AURORA | Police said a 19-year-old Aurora man who stole a pickup truck faces attempted murder charges after he shot at the man whose truck he stole when the victim saw his stolen pickup on an Aurora street and began tailing the thief.
Eliseo Adonai Vasquez-Leon, 19, faces attempted first-degree murder charges in the case, according to Aurora police spokesperson Joe Moylan.
A man called police at about 7:30 a.m. April 25 to say his Ford Raptor truck had been stolen about an hour earlier and as he was driving another vehicle to work, he spotted it in west Aurora.
Eliseo Adonai Vasquez-Leon, 19
“The victim followed his stolen pickup, providing real-time location information to responding officers,” Moylan said in a statement. “While following the stolen Ford, the suspect…fired multiple shots in the victim’s direction. Those shots missed the victim’s vehicle, but several struck an occupied residence.”
Police said no one was injured from the shooting nor the pursuit.
While the theft victim was on the phone with dispatchers, Vasquez-Leon crashed the stolen pick-up truck in the 11300 block of East Center Avenue and ran from the truck.
“Responding officers established a perimeter and ultimately located the suspect hiding in a dog kennel in a residential backyard,” Moylan said. “Officers recovered a stolen firearm, as well as the keys for the stolen Ford.”
In addition to attempted first-degree murder, Vasquez-Leon was arrested on charges of felony motor vehicle theft, prohibited use of a weapon, obstructing government operations, theft and damaging private property.
Police credit a department policy of prioritizing car thefts in Aurora for the arrest, as well as for resulting in a relatively recent reduction in car thefts.
“Saturday’s call underscores why the Aurora Police Department prioritizes motor vehicle theft investigations,” Aurora Police Chief Todd Chamberlain said in a statement. “Motor vehicle theft is not a victimless crime; it has real world impacts on members of our community.
In 2022,Colorado topped the nation among states reporting high rates of car theft.
The number of car thefts in Colorado and Aurora have dropped substantially since then. Police credit the change to Aurora programs and police policies that include MetroTrack, automated license plate readers, using drones as first responders, and backing off restrictions on when police can pursue suspects in a car chase.
Some Aurora lawmakers have credited the reduction in car thefts to so-called “get tough on crime” policies that mandate jail time for car thefts.
“From 2022 to 2025, motor vehicle thefts dropped from 6,801 in 2022 to 2,059 in 2025, a nearly 70 percent decline,” Moylan said. “Motor vehicle theft reports continue to trend down in 2026. As of April 12, year-to-date reports of motor vehicle theft are down 43.5 percent compared to the same time last year.”
However, car theft and other crime statistics have shown similar reductions across the nation, and other cities in the Aurora metro area have reported nearly identical reductions without any changes in police technology or policy over the last several years, according to state and national crime reports.
“We’re not just chasing statistics; every single number, every criminal report represents a real person in our community who has been victimized,” Chamberlain said. “That’s what drives the men and women of the Aurora Police Department every day; a commitment to serve with professionalism, compassion and an unwavering focus on keeping our community safe.”
Thank you, Aurora Police officers.
Keys left in the ignition or truck?
Truck “puffing” to get it warm?
So glad that Eliseo Adonai Vasquez-Leon, 19, did not hit any innocent people withis gun shots. How much damage did he cause to the residence?
An “Aurora man.” Get real!
A simple google of this guy’s name reveals he was arrested last year with an illegally modified automatic Glock. Less than a year later he’s loose on the streets to do this. Why was he not in jail for violating the NFA? Why are we only worried about regulating the non-criminals into the dirt? Gotta make sure the guy with no criminal record doesn’t have any gun STLs on his PC!! That will keep the people safe. The justice system is irreparably broken in Colorado. Hope the general public is happy with its results.
Not just Colorado. Who was the judge and/or DA who allowed this criminal so quickly back on the street? Recall, or at least do not reelect, both of them.