DENVER — A man who shot and killed his victim at a Denver car wash early last year has been sentenced to life in prison for the crime, the Denver District Attorney’s Office said Tuesday.
Uriel Rios-Avila was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole Tuesday in connection with the deadly shooting of 52-year-old David Trujillo on March 19, 2023.
The shooting happened at Sinclair gas station and car wash on E. 6th Avenue and Santa Fe Drive at around 7:30 a.m. that day, officials said.
Surveillance video of the deadly shooting showed Trujillo pulling into a car wash bay before Rios-Avila is seen riding up directly into the car wash bay and shooting into the driver’s side of the car. He then fled on his bicycle, according to an arrest affidavit in the case.
The affidavit – which was heavily redacted by police – suggests the crime happened because the suspect and the victim were romantically involved with the same woman.
Police found the suspect and took him into custody at around 1:40 p.m. that day, after he allegedly ran into a homeless encampment and changed clothes twice. Investigators also said Rios-Avila tried to cut his hair to change his appearance and elude authorities.
