Man arrested in fatal stabbing near Denver homeless shelters, encampment

DENVER (AP) — A man has been arrested in the fatal stabbing of a person in Denver after one witness said the suspect had been harassing a group of immigrants from Venezuela, police said Friday.

Gido Izquierdo-Ortega, 64, was arrested on suspicion of first-degree murder in the stabbing on Thursday at an intersection where the city’s main homeless shelters are located and where there is a homeless encampment.

It was not known if he has a lawyer representing him. The Associated Press was unable to reach court officials by phone Friday. The suspect’s first court appearance is Monday.

According to a police document laying out the evidence for his arrest, video footage showed Izquierdo-Ortega arguing with some people before pulling a knife from his bag and threatening people with it.

Some tried to wave him away while others used a long stick to poke at him and keep him at a distance, the probable cause statement said.

After a few minutes, Izquierdo-Ortega stabbed a man who had crossed the street and walked toward him. The victim collapsed. Several people then threw items at Izquierdo-Ortega, including a concrete block, until he appeared to be unconscious, court records said.

The name of the man who was killed has not been released.

The document did not say what motivated the stabbing but did note that a witness said there had been an altercation between Izquierdo-Ortega and people in the homeless camp the night before and that when Izquierdo-Ortega returned Thursday someone kicked him in the buttocks before the stabbing. A statement made by Izquierdo-Ortega to police was redacted from the arrest affidavit.

Witnesses told investigators either that Izquierdo-Ortega was known as “Cuba” or was believed to be from Cuba because of his accent.

The stabbing was first reported by KDVR-TV, which was at the intersection working on another story when it happened. Witnesses told the station the suspect appeared to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

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This story has been corrected to say that the document laying out the evidence against the suspect is a probable cause statement, not an arrest warrant affidavit.