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Man arrested on suspicion of murder in Denver

Alejandro Blanco; 6/24/1990

A 32-year-old man is in custody in connection to the death of Sergio Valencia.

Alejandro Blanco is being held at the Van Cise-Simonet Detention Center in Denver after being arrested on suspicion of first-degree murder and multiple counts of attempted first-degree murder – extreme indifference on Friday.

Officers were sent to the 4800 block of North high Street at 11:17 p.m. on July 20 after reports of a shooting.

Authorities found Valencia suffering from a gunshot wound and he was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the arrest affidavit. 

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Witnesses told investigators that a white Chevrolet Silverado approached them while they sat at the table. At that time, the driver said something they didn’t understand before driving south on High Street. The driver then reversed back to the area, yelled “I’m going to kill everyone” and fired two shots, according to the arrest affidavit.

The witnesses said there had been no altercations or fights in the park earlier in the night and frequently sit, chat and play dominos at the picnic table. 

Investigators retrieved two .22 caliber cartridge casings on the scene and found surveillance footage that confirmed the witnesses accounts.

On Thursday, an Adams County sheriff’s deputy spotted the Silverado in question at the Valli-Hi motel at 7320 Pecos Street.

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The deputy contacted Denver police to alert them of the discovery and he was told to keep surveillance on the vehicle. 

Investigators arrived and spoke with motel staff about the person in the room and learned Blanco had several warrant out of El Paso County after running his name, according to the arrest affidavit.

Deputies surrounded the room and ordered the occupants to come out. Blanco surrendered to authorities and was taken into custody without incident. 

Later in the morning after a search warrant was signed for the room, investigators recovered a .22 caliber handgun and bullets in the suspect’s truck. 

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Authorities are working to determine if Blanco was involved in a shooting earlier this week on Interstate 70 where a person fired a shot at a semi-truck in what’s believed to be a road rage incident, according to the affidavit. 

An initial court appearance had not been scheduled as of 2:45 p.m., according to online court records. 

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