Denver police arrest suspect in Thursday stabbing homicide at homeless camp
A man was stabbed to death Thursday morning
Denver Police arrested a man in connection to a stabbing homicide at a homeless camp in the Ballpark neighborhood on Thursday.
Gido Izquierdo-Ortega, 64, faces murder charges in connection to a stabbing that occurred in the area of Park Avenue and Lawrence Street around 11 a.m. Thursday, according to a Friday press release from the department.
Officers responded to a stabbing report in the area. Upon arrival, responders found a man suffering from an “apparent” stab wound. He was taken to a nearby hospital and was later pronounced deceased. Witnesses claimed another man had been stabbed during the incident, but police have yet to locate a second victim, according to the release.
Nearby camera footage showed the man arguing with a group of people at a camp, according to arrest records. He then pulled a knife out of his bag and was seen “menacing multiple people” with the knife for several minutes.
Some witnesses said he was arguing with people and two people from the camp hit him before he pulled out the knife.
People attempted to keep him away with sticks. The victim walked up to the suspect and was stabbed once in the torso, according to police. The victim ran away and collapsed on the sidewalk. Bystanders began throwing items at the suspect, including a concrete block, eventually knocking him unconscious, according to the department.
A witness told police that the suspect had a knife tied with a cord attached to his wrist. The witness took the knife off of his unconscious body and tossed it over a wall.
Another witness said the suspect was arguing with the group of people because they were immigrants from Venezuela. According to the witness, the victim was uninvolved and was attempting to defuse the situation.
Witnesses told investigators that the suspect and three other individuals had approached the camp the night before and were threatening people, according to arrest records. He returned alone the next morning.
Izquierdo-Ortega is being held for investigation of first-degree murder. Official charges will be determined by the Denver District Attorney’s Office.





