A Saturday morning in Aurora turned painful for one apartment resident when a bullet tore through his ceiling and into both of his lower legs, police said. Officers were called to an apartment complex in the 1300 block of Peoria Street at about 8 a.m. Saturday, when they found an adult man with gunshot wounds to both lower legs. He was taken to a local hospital and is expected to be okay. The resident in the unit above, identified as 21-year-old Oscar Becerra-Gonzalez, was arrested at his apartment and now faces a charge of second-degree assault.
Aurora police spokesperson Gabby Easterwood said Becerra-Gonzalez was handling his handgun when it went off and "the round traveled through the floor and into the unit below, striking the victim," as reported by Sentinel Colorado. Police said the suspect and the victim did not know each other. The department's release did not include details about whether formal court filings had been made or whether bond had been set.
Legal Implications
Prosecutors charged Becerra-Gonzalez with second-degree assault, a felony in Colorado that can apply when someone intentionally or recklessly causes injury to another person. The offense is prosecuted under CRS § 18-3-203 and may be charged as a class 4 felony, depending on the facts, carrying substantial prison terms and fines. A plain-language breakdown is available at Shouse Law, and the statute text can be found at law.justia.
What Happens Next
It was not immediately clear from Aurora Police or the Sentinel Colorado report whether prosecutors had filed formal charges in court or whether Becerra-Gonzalez was being held on bond. If prosecutors move forward, the case will proceed to arraignment and then through the usual pretrial steps in the local court system. This story will be updated with any court filings or new statements from Aurora Police as they become available.
