Car Owner Arrested For Murder After Alleged Car Thief Dies
DENVER (CBS4) -- A 24-year-old Denver man is in jail and may face a murder charge after he allegedly confronted a group of purported car thieves inside his vehicle Friday morning.
Brice Fitch was taken into custody Saturday by the Denver Police Department. He is being held for investigation of First Degree Murder.
DPD stated in a press release Sunday that Fitch is believed to have fired a gun at an undisclosed number of people he encountered shortly after 4 a.m. Friday in the 300 block of S. Jasmine Street.
Nine hours later, officers from the Aurora Police Department found a deceased male inside a sedan parked in the 12600 block of E. Exposition Avenue in Aurora. It was determined the man died from a gunshot wound.
DPD investigators believe the deceased was among the group of individuals that was either trying to steal items from the vehicle or steal the car itself.
The Denver Medical Examiner has not yet revealed the identity of the dead man, and likely will not do so until Monday.
"Detectives are working to understand the details of the interaction between the owner of the vehicle and the deceased," DPD stated in its press release, "but have learned the owner discharged a weapon multiple times during the incident."
Further information about the other people thought to be involved in the theft - the number of them, their identities, and whether they are possibly a threat to the public - was not provided by Denver PD.
When Copter4 flew over the Exposition scene Friday afternoon, the rear window of the vehicle appeared to be blown out.
Homicide detectives from both departments are investigating the incident.
A CBS4 legal expert says a case like this is not covered under the "Make My Day" law because you cannot use deadly force to protect property, only if you feel like your life is in imminent danger.