A 20-year-old Denver man was arrested Sunday in connection with last week’s shooting death of a Venezuelan man at an Aurora liquor store on East Colfax Avenue.
The Aurora Police Department Major Crime Homicide Unit announced Monday it had apprehended Davonte McCoy Bletson on suspicion of second-degree murder in the death of the 38-year-old Aurora man, who police said is a native of Venezuela.
Bletson is being held on $500,000 bond at the Arapahoe County Jail. The identity of the victim has not yet been released by the Arapahoe County Coroner’s Office.
Aurora police responded to reports of a shooting at a liquor store near the intersection of East Colfax Avenue and Helena Street at 8:45 p.m. on Friday. Two men had been shopping at the liquor store before they got into an argument with two other men and a woman in the parking lot outside, according to police.
“The argument escalated to a physical fight, followed by shots fired,” police officials said on Saturday.
When officers arrived, they found a man with gunshot wounds. Police said he died from his wounds shortly after arriving at a hospital. Witnesses told investigators that three suspects fled the scene in a silver sedan. Police on Monday did not make mention of any other suspects.
“There is no information at this time about any possible connections to the migrant community or gang activity,” police stated over the weekend. “The investigation is active and ongoing.”
Earlier this month, Aurora police publicly identified nine members of a Venezuelan gang charged in 14 separate criminal incidents over the last 10 months, including at least seven events at apartment complexes in the city. The alleged crimes connected to the Tren de Aragua members include two shootings, several assaults, thefts and instances of threatening people with guns.
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Court records detailing the allegations show that gang members intimidated and attacked residents at the Edge at Lowry apartment complex at Dallas Street and 12th Avenue, at the now-shuttered Fitzsimons Place apartments at 1568 Nome St. and at the Whispering Pines Condominiums at 1357 Helena St.
The victim in Friday’s shooting was not a resident of Whispering Pines apartments, located near the scene of the crime, nor was he a resident of any of the other Aurora properties that have received significant media attention in recent weeks, police said.
The Aurora Police Department credited the FBI, the Rocky Mountain Safe Streets Task Force, the Denver Police Department and the Denver Metro SWAT Team with making Bletson’s arrest. Anyone with any information is asked to contact Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 720-913-7867. Victims can remain anonymous and could be eligible for a reward of up to $2,000.
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