Neighbor angry over kids playing near his yard kills their grandma, Colorado cops say
A Colorado man is accused of shooting and killing a neighbor’s grandmother because he was upset over children playing near his yard.
Jason Arroyo, 33, was arrested and charged with first degree murder and attempted murder on Sept. 6 in Denver, according to CBS Denver. Witnesses told police that Arroyo shot a 55-year-old woman after a confrontation about the two children playing.
Neighbors told police Arroyo “became upset at the children and threw water on them” before getting in a verbal altercation with his neighbor, according to the affidavit. They said Arroyo went back inside and got a pistol, firing around six shots outside.
Patricia Cruz, 55, died after being in the hospital for 11 days, The Denver Channel reported. Chris Lucero, Cruz’s son, and his daughter Priscilla were also shot, according to the station.
“Why did he do it?” Cruz’s husband Richard Casias said during an interview with Denver7. “She changed my world. She was everything to me. She was my angel. If I could take a bullet for her, I would have.”
Lucero said Cruz confronted Arroyo after he threw water on the kids.
“That’s when my mom came out and said, ‘not today! You’re not going to do this with my grandkids,’” Lucero said, according to The Denver Channel.
Officers say they found two victims lying down on the ground with multiple gunshot wounds, according to the affidavit. Police said they detained Arroyo after finding him hiding in a nearby garage.
