Josiaz "Jojo" Aragon's killer arrested by Denver Police. New details of 14-year-old's killing revealed.
Eight weeks after 14-year-old Josiaz "Jojo" Aragon was killed outside Denver's Southwest Rec Center, his family finally has answers.
Denver police say community tips led them to Jojo's suspected killer a 17-year-old boy he went to school with last year.
"Throughout the summer it appears the two were having conversations back and forth about the sale of a firearm," says Denver Police Major Crimes Division Commander, Matt Clark.
Police can't say which boy was selling and which was buying the gun. On Aug. 8, both boys came to the Southwest Rec Center to exchange that gun, but only one walked away.
"During that transaction, the suspect violently assaulted the victim and ultimately killed him and robbed him," Clark says.
Jojo's autopsy revealed he died from multiple sharp force injuries and a gunshot wound. It's not clear if the gun used to shoot Jojo was the one being sold.
"This was not a chance encounter; it was a planned meeting that ended tragically," Clark says.
Friday night, Denver police arrested the 17-year-old boy on charges of first-degree murder, aggravated robbery, tampering with physical evidence in a felony crime, and possession of a handgun by a juvenile. Even with JoJo's suspected killer in jail, it's not a crime the community will soon forget.
"This is probably the most terrible crime that's occurred in this neighborhood," says Denver City Councilman Kevin Flynn. He and other community leaders are pledging to make the rec center area safer, and address gun violence, while the still-grieving Aragon family finally has justice.
The Denver DA's office will ultimately decide what charges will be filed and if that teenager will be charged as an adult. Police say they're still looking to see if anyone else was involved but so far haven't seen any evidence of that.
Update: Denver DA will pursue an adult criminal case against Jojo's accused killer
