17-year-old boy charged as adult in murder of Josiaz "Jojo" Aragon at Denver rec center
In August, investigators say 14-year-old Josiaz "Jojo" Aragon was murdered in a planned gun exchange with his accused killer. The suspect is also a teen, and he is now being charged as an adult in this criminal case.
Diego E. Lopez, 17, was named on Thursday as Jojo's accused killer by the Office of the Denver Attorney, and the DA confirmed it will pursue a case against Lopez as an adult.
According to the DA's press release, all juveniles who have their criminal case direct filed into adult district court are afforded the right (per Colorado law) to request a reverse transfer hearing.
As it stands, Lopez has been charged with murder in the first degree, aggravated robbery-real or simulated weapon, tampering with physical evidence, possessing a firearm as a juvenile and the sentence enhancing charge of using a weapon to commit a violent crime.
On Aug 8, Denver police responded to an initial report of a man who had been shot at Southwest Recreation Center. The victim was later confirmed to be Jojo, a juvenile. Jojo's cause of death was determined to be from multiple sharp and blunt force injuries with a gunshot wound, and the manner of death was ruled a homicide.
CBS News Colorado reported new information on Wednesday that both Jojo and his accused killer were former classmates and had been in contact with each other leading up to their meeting outside the rec center. It's unknown as of Oct. 5 if the gun used to shoot Jojo was the firearm that was up for exchange. Police also could not say which boy was selling and which was buying the gun.
"During that transaction, the suspect violently assaulted the victim and ultimately killed him and robbed him," Matt Clark, Denver Police Major Crimes Division Commander, previously told CBS News Colorado. "This was not a chance encounter; it was a planned meeting that ended tragically."
