AURORA | Police say they have arrested two 19-year-old men in connection with a fatal March 11 shooting in a southwest Aurora office park and both men face murder charges in what investigators say was a robbery over the sale of shoes.
Isaac Delacruz, 19, has been charged with first-degree murder and aggravated robbery, according to police. He is being held at the jail without bond. Kevin Hernandez-Gonzalez, 19, has been charged with second-degree murder and aggravated robbery, police said. He, too, is being held at the Arapahoe County jail in lieu of $1 million bond.
“Our thoughts are with the victim’s family, friends and members of our community who have been impacted by this tragic and senseless crime,” Mark Hildebrand, chief of the Aurora Police Department’s Investigations Division said in a statement.
In a statement Friday, police said Delacruz is accused of being the shooter in the case, and Hernandez-Gonzalez drove a getaway car from the scene.
Police were called to 10805 E. Bethany Drive at about 9:30 p.m. after reports of a shooting in a parking lot. The building is part of a larger office park.
Aurora police said they found a man critically wounded from gunfire outside an office building.
The slain man was identified Friday by the Arapahoe County corner as Yousef Jamal Elnaffar, 23.
“The victim was taken to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries,” police said previously in a statement.
The man later died from his gunfire injuries.
“The investigation to date has determined the victim traveled to the area after facilitating a transaction through an online marketplace,” police said in a statement. “Detectives are investigating the homicide as an isolated incident and don’t think the shooting is connected to any schools, places of worship or businesses in the area.”
Police said Friday the transaction was supposed to be the sale of a pair of shoes.
Police said Friday the suspects were linked to other crimes and robberies in the metro area, but they did not provide details of those crimes.
Police credited the arrests to a collaborative effort among APD’s Fugitive and Narcotics Unit and a host of other local police agencies.
Arrest warrants for Hernandez-Gonzalez and Delacruz were both sealed by a county court at the request of prosecutors.
Police said anyone with information can call Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 720-913-7867. Tipsters can remain anonymous and still be eligible for a reward of up to $2,000, police said.
Always be armed when conducting Facebook Marketplace transactions. This is why the Second Amendment exists. When the police do not do their job and get violent criminals off the streets, it’s up to you to defend yourself. Use the buddy system for every transaction and be ready to fight for your life. It’s not worth dying over a pair of shoes, but it is worth getting scum off the streets.
It is very shame a death for a “pair of shoes.” in more developed country in 21 century.
If convicted, the criminals wilbe getting FREE shoes hopefully for life.