Josiaz "Jojo" Aragon Killer Arrested, Receives First-Degree Murder Charges

Josiaz "Jojo" Aragon's family had received some closure eight weeks after his death when he was shot and killed outside the Southwest Rec Center in Denver.

Police say that tips from the public led them to a 17-year-old boy who went to school with the Denver teen last year and is thought to have killed him.

CBS News reported that Matt Clark, Denver Police Major Crimes Division Commander, stated that the two appeared to have a conversation about selling a firearm throughout the summer. However, it is unclear which of them is selling the gun.

The boys met on August 8 at the Southwest Rec Center to complete the transaction, and the teen murder happened.

"During that transaction, the suspect violently assaulted the victim and ultimately killed him and robbed him," Clark said.

The results of the autopsy revealed that Aragon died as a result of both blunt force trauma and shooting. The killer possibly used the same firearm to kill Aragon.

"This was not a chance encounter, it was a planned meeting that ended tragically," Clark stated.

Police Arrest Josiaz "Jojo" Aragon Killer

Jojo Aragon could do a one-hand pushup at the age of two. He is a cheerful kid, according to his friends.

Friends and family were shocked when they heard that the Denver teen had been killed brutally on a suburb baseball field.

According to Denver Gazette, Aragon did not have a car, and the location where he was brutally murdered was distant from his home, adding to the mystery surrounding the case.

There was initially very little information available to investigators, although a lifeguard from a recreation center pool nearby reported hearing a gunshot.

The 17-year-old suspect was nabbed in southwest Denver Friday evening after his arrest warrant was released earlier that day. The Denver Police Department recommends first-degree murder charges.

The young suspect is also in custody on charges of aggravated robbery, possession of a handgun by a juvenile, and tampering with tangible evidence in a felony.

Denver Teen, Jojo Aragon, Killed

At 1:15 p.m. on Monday, August 8, Josiaz "Jojo" Aragon's body was found near the batter's box on an empty baseball field near Denver's Southwest Recreation Center. Only two days remained until he turned 15.

Denver police searched the area and asked people who lived there if they had any security footage or had seen anything. In a press release, the police said that suggestions from the public helped them find Aragon's killer.

Colorado Teen Murder Rate Is Rising

Over the last 20 years, the number of teen murders reported in Colorado has grown more than five times, from 13 in 2001 to 67 in 2021. From 2002 to 2015, the number of homicides ranged from 15 to 44, but in the last six years, the number of homicides has gone up yearly, The Gazette reported.

Even though the number of teen murders is increasing, teen crime is decreasing. Compared to 2001, more than 72% fewer cases were filed in juvenile court in 2021, from 16,986 to 4,753. Since 2002, almost every year has seen a drop, with only 2015 and 2019 showing slight increases.

However, the rates of violent youth crime are rising despite this trend.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Bert Hoover

Watch: 14-year-old's killer arrested - From CBS Colorado