AURORA, Colo. — A man is in custody in Aurora after allegedly shooting a man to death and stealing his car, followed by two home invasions, several carjackings and two crashes.
"I’ve never seen a crime spree that’s involved in this many carjackings, home invasions and a homicide. This is unreal. This is unheard of," said Agent Matthew Longshore, public information officer with the Aurora Police Department.
On Wednesday at 3:21 p.m., along the 14000 block of E. Idaho Drive, the suspect allegedly robbed a woman of her purse at gunpoint and demanded her keys, which she refused. The suspect fired multiple shots, which did not injure the woman, and left on foot, according to Longshore.
At 3:29 p.m., officers with APD responded to a report of a carjacking at the Florida Station Apartments, which is located at 14082 E. Iowa Dr. As they drove to the scene, they learned a person had been shot, police said.
When the officers arrived, they found a man with a gunshot wound in the parking lot. They also learned that the suspect had broken the driver's side window, shot the man and then stole the car, Longshore said. The woman's purse was found at this scene.
The injured man was transported to a local hospital, where he died of his injuries. He has not been identified.
"It just makes me think, what is this world coming to?" said Wardell McCarthy, a resident at the apartments. "I could’ve been out here. That could’ve been me. It could’ve been any one of us."
APD said they believe the suspect then broke into two homes. The first was along the 1200 block of S. Memphis Street, where the suspect pistol-whipped a person in the home and fled on foot, Longshore said. He then entered a home along the 1200 block of S. Lewiston Street and forced a woman inside to hand over her keys, which she did, and the suspect stole a 2014 white Acura RDX, Longshore said.
Around 3:40 p.m., the suspect abandoned the Acura and allegedly carjacked a person's white Subaru sedan at gunpoint along the 490 block of S. Chambers Road, Longshore said. He abandoned it around the 30 block of N. Chambers Road and allegedly carjacked another vehicle at gunpoint, a green Kia Sportage, along the 15200 block of E. 6th Avenue around 4 p.m.
He abandoned the Kia along the 15200 block of E. 38th Avenue and tried to allegedly carjack another person's car on the 3750 block of Chambers Road, but was not successful, Longshore said. He then walked across the street and stole a person's red Chevy Equinox at gunpoint, Longshore said, which he then left at the intersection of Chambers Road and Maxwell Street.
The suspect then allegedly stole a Hyundai Santa Fe at gunpoint on the 15000 block of E. Randolph Drive and drove to the 5570 block Jasper Street, where he burglarized a home. He left the car in the driveway and stole a person's Ford 450 at gunpoint from the 15600 block of E. Randolph Drive, Longshore said.
He drove the car to 56th Avenue and Peña Boulevard, where he crashed the Ford and allegedly stole a person's Nissan Murano at gunpoint, Longshore said.
In the final crime in this spree, the suspect crashed the Nissan into several vehicles at 56th Avenue and E-470 and was seriously injured, Longshore said. He said this happened at 4:32 p.m.
Denver police were able to apprehend the suspect at this second crash. Aurora officers took the suspect into custody and brought him to a hospital for injuries related to the crashes.
"Got some pretty substantial injuries that may prolong his hospital stay," Longshore said. "We don’t believe he’s going to die, so it’s something he’s going to have to answer to."
Aurora's Major Crimes Homicide Unit is handling the investigation, which remains open and active.
Anybody with information on these incidents is asked to call the Aurora Police Department at 303-739-6000.