Community leaders respond to increase in violence on Pueblo’s east side
PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) -- In the last two weeks, there have been two homicides and two shootings in the City of Pueblo's east side. Two of the shootings happened one day a part and in the same address, the 700 block of E 3rd St.
In response, Pueblo Police Chief Chris Noeller tells 13 Investigates the department has activated their DICE (Directed Investigation and Community Engagement) team. He says it's all a part of an effort to get more boots on the ground in high crime areas.
"They are doing a bunch of different things. Dealing with some of the homeless issues, dealing with some of the extra patrol in some of the other areas like the east side, bessemer, some other areas of town where we notice some different criminal activity taking place," Noeller said.
The first homicide happened on April 15 on E 3rd St. Pueblo Police responded to the area and found 36-year-old Victor Trujillo shot and killed. A week later, they obtained an arrest warrant for 37-year-old Raymond Apodaca in connection with Trujillo's murder. Friday, Apodaca was arrested, according to Pueblo Police.
In the three other shootings, the murder of 27-year-old Manuel Zegarelli, an April 16 shooting at E 3rd St, and an April 23 shooting at E 11th St and N Reading Ave, there have no arrests made or suspects named.
Chief Noeller said the east side does have its fair share of drug dealing, prostitution and other lower level crimes. His officers are actively working to deter these types of crimes, which can be an indicator of higher level crime potentially being on the horizon.
Pueblo Mayor Nick Gradisar tells 13 Investigates, he believes much of the violence is a result of young people gaining access to deadly weapons. He says it is a city-wide problem and not just an issue one part of Pueblo is dealing with.
"Kids aren't buying these guns from the gun dealers," Gradisar said. "They might be buying them off the streets but it's because somebody wasn't careful enough with their firearms at home, and their kids had access to them and somehow they are trading them and selling them to their friends or letting their friends borrow them or something like that."
Pueblo's Mayor says increased parental involvement will help stem violence that has been plaguing the City of Pueblo.
"We all have an obligation as a community to do what we can to stem this violence, and I think that's one of the ways we can do it. Know where our kids are at night and know what they are doing," Gradisar said.
The four shootings on Pueblo's east side are not believed to be connected. The City of Pueblo has nine homicides this year. At this time last year, there were seven murders.
