Aurora police officials have announced that six individuals have been charged with murder as a result of a two-year, multijurisdictional investigation into organized crime. The Regional Anti-Violence Enforcement Network (RAVEN) arrested seven of the 12 suspects identified in the Colorado Organized Crime Control Act investigation. All but one of the suspects face charges related to violent crimes. Three of the suspects were already in custody on unrelated charges. One suspect remains at large, while another barricaded himself in his residence and took his own life on Tuesday. Authorities believe that all suspects are members of the same criminal organization.
The individuals arrested on Tuesday include Luis Ramirez (23), Dominik Ramirez (21), Jonathan Ramirez (18), Jason Frias (19), Keyandre Robinson (21), and Trayvon Weatherspoon (19). Julian Nava-Hernadez (18), Juan Carlos Rivas-Luna (18), and Jose Cano-Venzor (19) were already in jail. Donald Howard (18) is currently wanted and remains at large.
On Tuesday, law enforcement agencies executed search warrants at five Aurora locations and one in Denver. SWAT teams from the Aurora Police Department, Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office, and Denver Police Department apprehended the suspects. The suspects collectively face over 300 criminal charges.
The charges against Nava-Hernandez, Luis Ramirez, Dominik Ramirez, Jonathan Ramirez, Rivas-Luna, and Weatherspoon include two counts of first-degree murder. These charges are related to two separate cases. Rivas-Luna was previously arrested in June as a suspect in a fatal road rage shooting in Aurora’s Dayton Triangle neighborhood. The victim, Stephen Dennis Qualls (48) of Denver, was shot in the chest and died at a hospital.
In addition to the arrests, law enforcement officers seized various firearms, including two fully automatic AR-15 rifles, a Draco AK-47-style assault pistol, two silencers, and nine handguns. Two of the handguns featured illegal devices known as “switches” or “auto-sears,” which can convert a semi-automatic handgun into a fully automatic one.
The suspects will be prosecuted in Arapahoe District Court. Authorities have urged anyone with information about Donald Howard’s whereabouts to contact 911 or Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 720-913-7867 (STOP).
