12-year-old boy killed in shootout with owner in stolen car – police

DENVER. A 12-year-old boy in a stolen car died in a shootout with his owner in west Denver on Sunday. the police said.

The owner of the car reported it was stolen at the 8300 block of E. Northfield Boulevard and tracked it using the app to the intersection of West 12th Avenue and North Decatur Street, police said.

According to police, when the owner approached the car, he reported a shootout with at least one person inside.

The 12-year-old then drove his car to the 2900 block of 10th Avenue, where police officers found him with a gunshot wound, police said. It turned out that the extra passengers inside the stolen car had fled when it came to a stop.

The boy was taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The shooting is under investigation and the owner of the car has not yet been arrested, police said.

9NEWS asked DPD if they determined who fired first and what led to the shootout. Police said this is still being investigated and is a factor in the “current decision regarding the arrest.”

Asked if the driver chasing the car called the police and informed them of his actions, a DPD spokesman said they could not confirm or discuss those details due to the investigation.

The DPD spokesman added that they generally encourage people to be “good witnesses” and report all available data to the police to investigate a stolen car, including the whereabouts of the car if they can trace it.

“We discourage owners from trying to recover a stolen vehicle because hijackers are often armed, which poses a significant risk to anyone who tries to contact them,” the report said. “In general, we encourage people to put their personal safety first and avoid interacting with a person who may have stolen their car or committed another crime.”

The shooting occurred in the neighborhood of Denver City Council member Jamie Torres.

In a statement, Torres called it “absolutely tragic” and “probably avoidable.”

“I am heartbroken that this ended in the death of a 12-year-old,” Torres said. “I know that car theft is a growing problem not only in Denver but everywhere and it is infuriating to be a victim, but I do not recommend any resident to be vigilant. It’s not worth risking your life. I’m heartbroken. that this whole sequence of events took place and that it was brought to the threshold of my county.”

Anyone with information that could assist the investigation is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 720-913-7867 or visit www.metrodenvercrimestoppers.com. Tipsters can remain anonymous and may be eligible for rewards of up to $2,000.

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