Man arrested in connection to 2023 New Years Eve murder

PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) - Pueblo Police have arrested 33-year-old Adrian Pacheco in connection with a murder more than two years ago.

Back on December 31, 2023, Pueblo Police found 40-year-old Daniel Smith shot and killed on East 14th Street in Pueblo.

Previous Reporting: https://krdo.com/news/2024/01/05/pueblo-mother-says-her-son-was-a-former-gang-member-in-the-process-of-changing-his-life-before-he-was-killed-sunday/

At the time, Pueblo Police told KRDO13 that there wasn't enough information to determine whether Smith's murder had something to do with gang violence or not. Grace Smith, Daniel's mother, told KRDO13 that he joined the "Westside Chicos" when he was 11 or 12 years old. She added that Daniel even made headlines in 2006 for escaping the Pueblo County Jail using a rope made of bed sheets.

Daniel was released from prison a few years before his death and realized that he was done with the gang lifestyle. A lifestyle he grew even more bitter with after his own son was violently killed.

We are working to learn more about Adrian Pacheco. We will continue to update this article as more information becomes available.