The young man who shot and killed 16 year-old Juan Herrera-Lozano at Denver Skatepark in 2022 was charged as an adult, but he will not go to prison at this time. Instead, he will go into Colorado’s juvenile corrections system with a suspended prison sentence.
Owen Ruiz, now 18, was sentenced to 7 years in the Colorado Youth Offender System by a judge on Monday, with a suspended sentence of 32 years in the Colorado Department of Corrections. In January, Ruiz pleaded guilty to second-degree murder for killing Herrera-Lozano.
“My office asked for a sentence in the Department of Corrections so we are disappointed by today’s outcome. However, we respect the decision of the judge, who considered presentations made by the prosecution and the defense, as well as the Herrera-Lozano family,” Denver DA Beth McCann said in a statement post on social media by the DA.
Ruiz shot and killed Herrera-Lozano on the evening of April 23, 2022. Surveillance video showed victim Herrera-Lozano approaching a black or dark-colored sedan. Moments later, Herrera-Lozano drops to the ground, and several other bystanders scatter in the area.
According to the arrest affidavit, Ruiz yelled at Herrera-Lozano asking, “Do you remember me?” To which the victim replied, “No.” That’s when police said Ruiz opened fire and killed Herrera-Lozano. Police placed Ruiz in the park at the time of the shooting because he was wearing a GPS ankle monitor at the time.
“We hope the long suspended DOC sentence will result in Mr. Ruiz taking advantage of the programs offered by the Youthful Offender System and turning his life around,” McCann said in the posted statement.
