Man arrested in connection to Highlands Ranch crash that killed teen

The Douglas County Sheriff's Office arrested a man in connection to the March 6 pedestrian crash that left a 13-year-old dead. The man allegedly ran a red light.

Deputies arrested Ruben Morones, 52, on Wednesday on charges of careless driving causing serious bodily injury to a vulnerable road user, careless driving causing death and failure to obey a traffic control signal. He was booked into the Douglas County Jail, according to the news release.

Alex Mackiewicz, 13, was heading to school on Venneford Ranch Road around 7 a.m. on a Onewheel electric skateboard. He continued through the intersection of Venneford Ranch Road and Highlands Ranch Parkway with the right-of-way and in the crosswalk, according to DCSO.

Morones was driving eastbound on Highlands Ranch Parkway, approaching the intersection. Morones then allegedly drove through the red light on Highlands Ranch Parkway, hitting Mackiewicz on the opposite side of the intersection.

Mackiewicz was thrown from the Onewheel and landed near the curb line as Morones came to a stop after the impact.

Initial investigation showed no signs that Morones was speeding, or under the influence.

The victim died at the scene, leaving his mother, Victoria Cegielski, and family mourning the teen. They held a candlelight vigil at the scene the next day.

Alex loved baseball and was a great athlete, proudly batting and pitching lefty," his aunt, Wendy Cegielski, said on the family's GoFundMe. "Alex was not just a son, brother and friend but a light in the lives of all who knew him. He was a gentle, kind and caring soul who loved his family."

“This was a tragedy that has impacted not only Alex’s family but the entire Highlands Ranch community," Douglas County Sheriff Darren Weekly said in the release. "As the sheriff, I take traffic safety very seriously, and we will continue to work hard to make our roadways safer through public education and traffic enforcement."

The family has declined to talk about the case until March 21.

Aurora Police investigators arrested a 24-year-old man on charges of second-degree murder after finding a victim dying in a storage unit.

Joaquin Enrique Cabral-Favela, 24, of Denver, was arrested in connection to the shooting of a 26-year-old man at a storage unit facility on Wednesday afternoon, according to a news release from the Aurora Police Department.

Officers arrived at a storage unit facility in the 14700 block of East 40th Avenue around 4:30 p.m. Wednesday to investigate an "unrelated incident," according to the release. While officers were in the area, the manager of the facility called 911 to report a shooting.

Following a search of the facility, officers found the victim suffering from an apparent gunshot wound. Officers attempted life-saving actions, but the victim died at the scene.

Cabral-Favela was later detained by police for questioning. He was then booked into jail on charges of second-degree murder. The suspected firearm was also located at the scene.

The identity of the victim will be released by the Adams County Coroner’s Office pending an autopsy and notification of family.

The Denver Police Department released updated information and released security camera footage Wednesday of an incident in which multiple officers shot a man who was allegedly robbing a convenience store.

Officers responded to a report of a potential stabbing and robbery at the 7-Eleven at West 5th Avenue and Federal Boulevard at around 6:50 p.m. on March 1, according to a previous press conference by the Denver Police Department.

Upon entering the store, officers heard what appeared to be a struggle behind the back office door. When officers opened the door, three men were in the office with a desk moved as a barricade, according to surveillance footage released by the department.