Related To Story |
Fight At Topless Bar Ends In Deadly Shooting
Police Suspect Valdez Shot Man With 12-Gauge Shotgun
POSTED: 2:07 pm MST December 8, 2011
UPDATED: 6:52 am MST December 9, 2011
ADAMS COUNTY, Colo. -- A suspect who police believe shot and killed another man with a 12-gauge shotgun outside a strip club was arrested early Thursday following a brief chase.John Paul Valdez, 25, was at the Saturday Night Live Gentleman's club on North Federal Boulevard, near West 80th Avenue when he and another man started arguing. At closing time, around 1:35 a.m., they both walked to the parking lot.Valdez walked to his car, opened his trunk and grabbed a 12-gauge shotgun. Police say Valdez pointed the gun at the other man, identified as Javier Ruacho-Benitez, fired a shot at him and killed him.
A patrol shift supervisor for Adams County Sheriff's Office was traveling on Federal Boulevard near the topless bar when he heard a gunshot. He quickly drove to the club and witnesses told him that the suspect just left the parking lot.The supervisor spotted the fleeing vehicle and pursued it until it crashed, the sheriff's office said. The driver ran and officers set up a perimeter with several deputies and a K-9.The K-9 soon found Valdez hiding near a home.Valdez was taken into custody and transported to the hospital for a dog bite.Several witnesses were interviewed at the scene of the homicide and at the Adams County Sheriff’s Office substation in Commerce City."Detectives are confident that through their investigation and with the information received from witnesses that the suspect taken into custody was the shooter at Saturday Night Live," the sheriff's office said.
Report a typo or inaccuracy
If you have a news tip or a follow-up to this story, e-mail us.
Report a typo or inaccuracy
If you have a news tip or a follow-up to this story, e-mail us.
Copyright 2011 by TheDenverChannel.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
The following are comments from our users. Opinions expressed are neither created nor endorsed by TheDenverChannel.com. By posting a comment you agree to accept our Terms of Use. Comments are moderated by the community. To report an offensive or otherwise inappropriate comment, click the "Flag" link that appears beneath that comment. Comments that are flagged by a set number of users will be automatically removed.






