DeAngelo Tafoya, a 22-year-old male, was waiting for a bus on the afternoon of April 1, 2021, in Denver, Colorado, a day that would tragically be his last. A devoted single father, he was working two jobs, putting in more than 80 hours a week to provide for his infant daughter, Athena. He had been working overtime to save money for their first vacation together.
That afternoon, as he and another man, 59-year-old David Lara, waited at the bus stop near the intersection of South Federal Boulevard and West Alameda Avenue, their lives were cut short in a burst of senseless violence.
Witnesses reported that gunfire erupted from a gold or tan SUV, striking both Tafoya and Lara. The two men were rushed to a nearby hospital, but their injuries proved fatal. Tafoya's family described him as a soft-spoken and amazing person, emphasizing that he was an innocent victim caught in an act of violence that has become all too common. His uncle lamented the loss, stating that it's always the good ones who are taken too soon and called for an end to the pervasive gun violence.
The investigation moved swiftly. Just minutes after the shooting, Denver police officers stopped a gold Honda CRV that matched the description of the vehicle involved. Inside, they found Elias Chavez and Tlaloc Chavez, both 22 years old. Also in the vehicle were a woman and a baby in a car seat. Spent shell casings were reportedly found in the car. Surveillance footage from a public bus at the scene captured the shooting, showing two men in the Honda CRV firing at the victims. Both Elias and Tlaloc Chavez were arrested and subsequently charged with multiple counts of first-degree murder.
The legal process concluded in September 2022, when both Elias Chavez and Tlaloc Chavez were convicted for the murders of DeAngelo Tafoya and David Lara. Each was sentenced to serve two life sentences in prison for the devastating and unprovoked attack that took the lives of two innocent men simply waiting for a bus. The crime was linked to gang activity, a tragic reality that left a young daughter without her loving father and a community mourning a profound loss.
