In the late hours of a Sunday night in southeastern Colorado Springs, the life of 23-year-old Eugenio Solorio-Gomez was tragically cut short. On November 16, 2014, authorities found him deceased near Monterey Road and South Circle Drive, the victim of a fatal shooting. An investigation into his death would soon point to a conflict born from a past romance.
Eugenio Solorio-Gomez, a young man who enjoyed the mountains and spending time with his family, found himself at a party in his
ex-girlfriend's apartment. The gathering took a violent turn with the arrival of Patrick James Orozco Jr., the ex-girlfriend's recent partner. The shooting was reportedly precipitated by Orozco's girlfriend having just ended their relationship.
Following the incident, law enforcement identified 21-year-old Patrick Orozco as the suspect and issued a warrant for his arrest, considering him armed and dangerous. He was described as a Hispanic male, and a search for him ensued. Orozco was apprehended shortly after the shooting.
In April 2016, a jury found Patrick James Orozco Jr., then 24, guilty of first-degree murder in the death of Eugenio Solorio-Gomez. The trial revealed that the motive for the shooting was connected to one of the ex-girlfriend's former love interests. The conviction brought a measure of legal closure to a senseless act of violence that ended a young man's life.
