Last year, an individual driving a vehicle collided with the rear of another car, then proceeded to leave the accident scene. Subsequently, this driver found themselves embroiled in a disagreement with their passenger.
Ricardo “Ricky” Santos, 22 years old, lost his life as a result of an accidental altercation.
According to a witness, Santos was shot by Vincent Tapia, a 20-year-old, after the two men stopped their vehicles to engage in a physical altercation regarding the hit-and-run incident.
Prior to the collision, Santos had handed Tapia a revolver, and Tapia subsequently shot Santos twice with it.
Tapia was sentenced to 40 years in the Colorado Department of Corrections by a Denver District Court judge on Thursday. In August, a jury had found Tapia guilty of 2nd Degree Murder.
“This is another senseless act of violence and further evidence of the tragedy that often results when handguns are used to resolve disputes. I am very pleased that Vincent Tapia will pay a significant price for his actions that day,” Denver District Attorney Beth McCann stated in a press release announcing the conclusion of the case.
On the night of April 1, 2022, Santos was driving his car with two females and two men. According to the females, they only knew “Vinny” and were unaware of Santos being the driver. During the investigation, both females revealed that the two men were consuming tequila and smoking marijuana while driving to a club, as mentioned in the arrest affidavit.
As they drove, both of them observed Santos handing a revolver to Tapia.
As Santos was driving along Federal Boulevard, his car collided with the rear of another vehicle. Santos decided to leave the scene, triggering an immediate argument between the two men involved, according to the women present.
At the intersection of 16th Avenue and Irving Street, Santos parked the car. Both men stepped out of the vehicle. According to the females present, Tapia brandished a revolver during their altercation and shot at Santos before fleeing the scene.
According to the arrest affidavit, Tapia was discovered by officers from the Denver Police Department “sprinting… roughly five blocks away from the scene and within minutes of the 911 call.” Consequently, they apprehended him and, upon conducting a search, located the revolver in his possession.
Around 20 minutes after the initial 9-1-1 calls were received, Santos was declared deceased at Denver Health Medical Center.
According to online court records, prosecutors had pursued a conviction for first-degree murder.
The Santos family initiated an online fundraising campaign to collect funds for Rico’s burial expenses. In their funeral invitation, they expressed the sentiment that Rico was a person who enjoyed having fun, and therefore, they requested attendees not to shed tears but instead celebrate his life and honor his memory by making it a joyous occasion.
