In the early hours of February 19, 2020, a pajama party at a Denver Tech Center apartment turned into a scene of violence that claimed the life of 26-year-old Marquis Johnson. The gathering was taking place at the Pearl DTC Apartments on East Technology Way when a knock came at the door at approximately 2:30 a.m. When Johnson answered, a man and a woman, both armed, forced their way into the residence.
The armed intruders were later identified as 34-year-old Mark Anthony Howard and
24-year-old Roxanne Rodriguez-Hernandez. Inside the apartment, an exchange of gunfire erupted between the suspects and another individual who was present at the party. In the ensuing chaos, Johnson was fatally shot. Two other men also sustained injuries during the incident; one was critically wounded, while the other suffered a non-life-threatening gunshot wound to the leg.
Following the shooting, Howard and Rodriguez-Hernandez fled the scene. Denver police launched an investigation and identified the pair as suspects. Initially, there was a misidentification of the male suspect, but he was later correctly identified as Mark Howard. Both Howard and Rodriguez-Hernandez were considered armed and dangerous.
An investigation led to the arrests of both suspects. The Denver District Attorney's Office formally charged Mark Howard and Roxanne Rodriquez-Hernandez in connection with the death of Marquis Johnson. Howard faced a total of 25 felony counts, while Rodriguez-Hernandez was charged with 24 felony counts. The charges for both included two counts of murder in the first degree, along with multiple counts of conspiracy to commit murder, burglary, assault, and menacing. Howard also faced a charge for possession of a weapon by a previous offender.
