Internet ‘beef’ turned violent: 19-year-old accused in drive-by shooting in Colorado
Courtesy of CSPD
A 19-year-old being investigated by the Colorado Springs Police Department for several crimes, has been formally charged for his alleged involvement in a drive-by shooting following internet “beef” that turned violent, according to court documents.
Ruben Sandoval, 19, was arrested last month and is facing eight counts of first-degree attempted murder for allegedly shooting on April 8 at a home in the 2100 block of East Willamette Avenue. There were eight people in the house at the time, including a baby, according to investigators.
A witness told police that Sandoval was part of a gang. A spokesperson for the Colorado Springs Police Department said it’s unclear if he’s part of an official gang, but that he’s a “prolific offender.”
Residents in the home told police that there were two bursts of gunfire directed at their home in the early morning hours after a white vehicle was seen driving around the block 11 times.
One of the residents said he ran out the door of his house ready to protect his family by firing back at the vehicle until his handgun malfunctioned.
No one was reported injured in the shooting.
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Investigators connected Sandoval and a teenager to the shooting through Instagram chat logs, where the two bragged about being the shooters and talked about “beef” they had with a man inside the home, according to Sandoval’s arrest affidavit.
Chat logs in the affidavit show Sandoval taking credit for the shooting by sending news articles in a group chat with his friends and saying “uk (u know) we did it.” He also posted multiple videos of a .22 caliber AR-15-style pistol, adding that he “let off 25” with it.
An AR pistol is a handgun assembled using an AR-15-style receiver with suitable parts to create a pistol held and fired with one hand.
Bullet casings recovered from the scene match the caliber of the pistol in Sandoval’s posts, and evidence from the chat logs and witness testimony estimate upwards of 30 rounds were fired off. Sandoval got rid of the gun afterwards, according to his Instagram chat logs.
The adult male who police say was the target of the shooting told investigators that Sandoval, nicknamed “Malo,” had argued with him online. The man also told police that Sandoval had said he would “shoot up” his home and threatened him with a weapon, believed to be the AR pistol, two days before the shooting.
According to the arrest affidavit, Sandoval has also been investigated by police for various motor vehicle theft cases and unlawful possession of weapons. Chat logs also show Sandoval talking to his friends about how he had stolen six Kia’s.
As of June 6, Sandoval has not been charged for any other crimes, including motor theft, according to open court records.
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Sandoval is being held in the El Paso County jail under a $100,000 bond. He has a preliminary hearing scheduled for June 25 at 1:30 p.m.




