Police arrest two suspects in connection to fatal shooting in Lakewood

Flor Contreras and Menelson Leonel Ramirez

Lakewood police have arrested two suspects in connection with the fatal shooting of a 26-year-old woman on the evening of Jan. 12. 

The Lakewood Police Department arrested 25-year-old Flor Contreras on suspicion of complicity to committing first-degree murder on Friday, according to a press release from the department.

Following investigations, a second suspect, 27-year-old Menelson Leonel Ramirez of Aurora, was identified. Ramirez had fled the state and was eventually arrested in Megargel, Texas. He is currently waiting to be extradited back to Colorado and arrested on suspicion of first-degree murder.

The shooting happened around 8 p.m. on Jan. 12 in the 1400 block of Kendall Street — about a block from Casa Bonita.

Police were called to the area and, upon arrival, found a woman suffering from a gunshot wound. She was taken to a nearby hospital where she later died from her injuries.

The victim was later identified as 26-year-old Nairelis “Junior” Castel, police said.

Investigations found that both the two suspects and the victim knew each other, but motives have not been determined.

According to Contreras’ Facebook profile, the woman is from Venezuela, but the Lakewood Police Department told The Denver Gazette that the shooting does not appear to be gang related or connected to Venezuelan gang activity (Tren de Aragua) in Aurora.

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