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Suspect kills 2 during pursuit involving stolen car, police say

Brighton Police said Nicholas Villarini was taken to the hospital with serious injuries after he crashed after hitting a car and a pedestrian during the pursuit.

BRIGHTON, Colo. — A suspect was taken into custody after two people were killed during a pursuit involving a stolen vehicle on Tuesday, Brighton Police Department (BPD) said.

Police said officers responded at 11:20 a.m. to the area of Gaviota and Goldfinch streets for a report of a suspicious vehicle. When officers arrived, they discovered the vehicle was reported stolen out of Westminster, police said.

When a second officer arrived, police said, the suspect vehicle rammed their vehicle and drove away.

The other officer began pursuing the suspect vehicle, which then ran a stop sign and hit another car at the intersection of Bridge and Mt. Bierstadt streets, according to police.

A woman was ejected from the car that was hit. The woman identified as 21-year-old Dulce Castro Perez of Hudson by the Office of the Coroner, Adams and Broomfied Counties was pronounced dead after being taken to the hospital with critical injuries.

The stolen vehicle continued on Mt. Bierstadt Street, when the driver lost control and hit a pedestrian, according to police. The pedestrian, identified as 25-year-old Gustavo Mosqueda Ortega of Montrose by the coroner's office, was also pronounced dead after being taken to the hospital in critical condition.

Police identified the driver as 27-year-old Nicholas Villarini. He was taken to the hospital for serious injuries suffered during the pursuit, which police said lasted about two minutes.

Credit: Adams County Sheriff's Office

A passenger in the suspect vehicle was also taken to the hospital, where police said she was treated for injuries.

The crash caused police to close Bridge Street in both directions between 45th and 50th avenues while officers investigated.

The 17th Judicial District Critical Investigation Team and North Metro Accident Investigation Team are leading the investigation.

“Today has been a very difficult day for our community," Chief Paul Southard said. "Loss of life is never easy--in this case, the loss of people who were going about their everyday lives. Our hearts are heavy for the families and friends of both individuals whose lives were tragically cut short, as well as the other victims of the crash.”

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