An 18-year-old suspect has been arrested in connection with the July 14 shooting of a 13-year-old girl near the Pueblo Riverwalk, according to a heavily redacted arrest affidavit from the Pueblo Police Department.
Romello “Rome” Hernandez is facing a charge of attempted first-degree murder.
The incident occurred in the early morning hours when groups of teenagers had gathered in a parking lot near the riverwalk. The victim was sitting in a car with friends when an argument broke out outside the vehicle. According to the affidavit, the suspect allegedly told those inside the car that “they were not leaving.”
A witness reported seeing a “blue light” and hearing a bang before noticing the 13-year-old slumped over in her seat. The witness then drove her to the hospital, where she was admitted in critical condition.
She told investigators she hadn’t been paying attention before the shooting because she had been on her phone. Another person in the vehicle, whose name was redacted, had reportedly been arguing with the suspect prior to the shooting.
Surveillance footage from the scene showed four cars quickly fleeing the area following the gunshot. While the video didn’t capture the shooting itself, it did record the sound of a single gunshot. One of the vehicles seen leaving was connected to Hernandez, though police said it wasn’t registered to him.
Later that day, investigators received a tip from a witness who claimed Hernandez admitted to the shooting while at work. That same witness identified Hernandez in a photo lineup as the shooter.
Another witness described the altercation as possibly fueled by alcohol. They said the suspect may have believed someone from the victim’s group drank from his bottle of Hennessy. The witness recalled hearing the suspect tell someone to get out of the car just before the gunshot.
Several witnesses described the shooter as a short Hispanic male with a medium build, which matched Hernandez’s description.
Hernandez was arrested on July 24. As of July 29, police said the 13-year-old victim was no longer in critical condition and was showing signs of improvement.
All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Charges are accusations and do not equate to guilt.
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Katie is a senior who has been on staff for three years. Her favorite type of stories to write is reviews and features. Katie’s favorite ice cream flavor is strawberry.
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