Aurora police said Tuesday they have arrested an 18-year-old in connection with a January drive-by shooting that sent bullets into a north Aurora home while four people were inside. A vehicle allegedly pulled up to the residence and fired, with two rounds striking the house. No one was hurt, but the suspect is now facing multiple counts of attempted first-degree murder.
According to a news release posted by the Aurora Police Department, the shooting happened just after 1:45 a.m. on Jan. 22 in the 1700 block of Payne Way, and the home was occupied at the time. The department said its Gun Violence Suppression Team arrested 18-year-old Brayan Enriquez-Munoz on Feb. 5 on four counts of attempted first-degree murder and that he was released on $25,000 bond. The release states Enriquez-Munoz showed up at a local hospital about 15 hours after the Payne Way shooting with a gunshot wound he admitted happened at his home on the 1900 block of Iola Street. Officers recovered a .40-caliber handgun at that address, which was later linked to the Payne Way shooting through ballistic testing.
How investigators say they built the case
In the Aurora Police Department post, detectives said they relied on a mix of city and residential security camera footage, Flock Safety license plate reader data and cellphone information to place Enriquez-Munoz in the 1700 block of Payne Way when the shots were fired. They also reported that ballistic testing matched the .40-caliber handgun seized from his home to the rounds fired into the occupied residence.
The release further notes that Enriquez-Munoz arrived at the hospital roughly 15 hours after the incident with what investigators describe as a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Detectives say they later found search queries showing he had asked an artificial intelligence cellphone app how to conceal fingerprints on a firearm and what charges he might face for firing a gun at a person's house. APD added that its Gun Violence Suppression Team currently has a roughly 70 percent clearance rate for nonfatal shooting investigations.
Legal stakes
Enriquez-Munoz faces four counts of attempted first-degree murder, a high-level felony under state law that can bring lengthy prison terms if he is convicted. Legal references describe attempted first-degree murder in Colorado as a serious offense with substantial sentencing ranges; see ShouseLaw for a breakdown of potential penalties and the underlying statute in the state code at Colorado Revised Statutes.
How to tip investigators
Aurora police are asking anyone with information about the case to contact Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 720-913-STOP (7867) or to submit a tip online. Tipsters can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward of up to $2,000. Investigators say the case remains active and ongoing.
