In the early morning hours of December 15, 2019, Paul Dakan, a 36-year-old tow truck driver, was at his job at the Elite Towing and Recovery impound lot near East 48th Avenue and Washington Street in Denver. It was a job that came with inherent risks, a fact his sister, who had also worked in the industry, knew all too well. On this particular morning, the dangers of his profession became a tragic reality.
A man named Victor Arenas-Foote arrived at the tow yard, upset that his car had
been impounded. The fee to retrieve his vehicle was $300, a sum he was apparently unwilling to pay. In a fatal escalation over the impound fee, Arenas-Foote shot Dakan in the back of the head. Following the shooting, Arenas-Foote fled the scene in his impounded car, accompanied by an elderly woman who was later identified by police as a witness.
Paul Dakan was rushed to a hospital for emergency surgery, but he ultimately succumbed to his injuries and died that same morning. His death left his family and friends mourning the loss of a man they described as a protective older brother and a good friend who had a passion for cars and music.
The investigation moved quickly. About 20 minutes after the shooting, deputies in Adams County located Arenas-Foote's vehicle. He was taken into custody, and authorities recovered a. 38 caliber semi-automatic handgun from his pocket. Victor Arenas-Foote was subsequently charged with first-degree murder and aggravated robbery. In September 2021, a Denver jury found him guilty of both first and second-degree murder after deliberating for approximately eight hours. He was scheduled for sentencing on November 12, 2021.
