Juan Herrera-Lozano, a 16-year-old male, was fatally shot on the evening of April 23, 2022, at the Denver Skate Park located near 20th and Little Raven streets. The incident unfolded at approximately 6:15 p.m. when a dark-colored sedan approached the area where Herrera-Lozano was present. Surveillance footage from the scene captured him walking towards the vehicle and interacting with its occupants.
Moments later, he was seen staggering away from the car before collapsing in the street as the vehicle sped away. First responders found Herrera-Lozano with a gunshot wound, and he was pronounced deceased after being transported to a hospital.
The investigation into the shooting led police to another 16-year-old, Owen Ruiz. According to the arrest affidavit, before the shooting, Ruiz had yelled at Herrera-Lozano, asking, 'Do you remember me?'. When Herrera-Lozano replied 'No,' Ruiz opened fire. A crucial piece of evidence that placed Ruiz at the scene was a GPS ankle monitor he was wearing at the time of the incident.
Owen Ruiz was arrested and subsequently charged as an adult in connection with the death of Juan Herrera-Lozano. He faced multiple charges, including two counts of first-degree murder. In January 2024, Ruiz pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of second-degree murder. On April 1, 2024, a judge sentenced Ruiz, then 18, to seven years in a juvenile corrections system, with a suspended 32-year prison sentence in the Department of Corrections. The Denver District Attorney's office had advocated for a sentence in the Department of Corrections and expressed disappointment with the outcome, but respected the judge's decision.
