In the early morning hours of June 23, 2023, the sound of gunshots echoed in the 1500 block of East Boulder Street in Colorado Springs. When police officers arrived at the scene around 3:07 a.m., they discovered a deceased adult female with a possible gunshot wound. The woman was later identified as 48-year-old Nancy Ann Mascareñas of Clovis, New Mexico.
An autopsy was conducted by the El Paso County Coroner's Office, and while the official cause and manner of death are pending determination by the coroner, her death is being investigated as the 13th homicide in Colorado Springs in 2023. Nancy, born on January 19, 1975, was a mother of two and a grandmother of two. She was remembered as a loving daughter, sister, and friend who had a passion for making jewelry and taking pictures.
The investigation into Nancy's death led detectives to identify a suspect. On July 17, 2023, an arrest warrant was secured for 51-year-old Gilbert Lopez Jr., charging him with First Degree Murder in connection with the homicide. At the time the warrant was issued, Lopez was already incarcerated at the El Paso County Jail on unrelated criminal charges.
