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2 arrested in connection to death of Denver man in South Park Hill

Two suspects have been arrested in connection to the fatal shooting of a man in the South Park Hill neighborhood last month, the Denver Police Department said.

Jaime Espino-Amador, 19, was arrested Tuesday and was held on investigation of murder. Jasmine Munoz, 22, was arrested last week on unrelated charges and held on investigation of murder.

Police said Darrian Butler, 27, was fatally shot on Wednesday, Aug. 11 at around 4 a.m. near East Colfax Avenue and North Clermont Street. He was found with gunshot wounds to the head and torso and pronounced dead at the scene.

Surveillance footage from nearby businesses showed the victim, later identified as Butler, being shot by suspects in a dark-colored Jeep Wrangler with a hard-top and a tire mounted on the back, according to an arrest affidavit in the case.

The footage showed Butler briefly interacting with and possibly speaking to the suspects before the shooting., police alleged in court papers.

That Jeep, which had been reported stolen, was found abandoned on Aug. 17 in 5100 block of North Emerson Street. After the Jeep was recovered, police found Espino-Amador’s fingerprints inside of the Jeep, according to court papers.

Police say they connected Munoz to the shooting using a spent 40-caliber cartridge case found at the scene.

The cartridge case matched two other shootings in Denver on July 23 and June 9, during which shots were fired but no one was injured, police said. Munoz had been linked to the other shootings, the affidavit said.

Because of this connection, police used the call records from Munoz’s cell phone and discovered cell phone towers placed her near the scene of the crime at the time of the fatal shooting, investigators alleged in court papers.

In addition, a suspect in an unrelated vehicle theft case believed to know Munoz and Espino-Amador told Aurora police that the two were responsible for a recent murder in Denver, the affidavit said.

The Denver District Attorney’s Office will determine formal charges against the suspects.

The investigation into the shooting is ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to call Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 720-913-7867.

Jaime Espino-Amador (left) and Jasmine Munoz (right). (Photo courtesy of the Denver Police Department)
Jaime Espino-Amador (left) and Jasmine Munoz (right). (Photo courtesy of the Denver Police Department)


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