DENVER — A man who fatally shot another man following an argument over a hit-and-run crash in April of last year was sentenced to 40 years behind bars.
A jury convicted Vincent Tapia of second-degree murder on Aug. 11. He was sentenced in Denver District Court on Thursday.
Ricardo Santos, Jr., 22, was fatally shot on April 1, 2022, near West 16th Avenue and Irving Street in Denver.
Prior to the shooting, Santos Jr. was driving a vehicle in which Tapia and two others were passengers. The two female witnesses who were in the vehicle told officers after the shooting that they were on their way to a nightclub, according to the probable cause statement for Tapia's arrest.
While on Federal Boulevard, Santos, Jr. crashed into the back of another vehicle and drove away from the scene. He and Tapia argued over the crash. They stopped the vehicle in the area of 16th and Irving and got out of the vehicle to fight, the PC statement says.
That was when Tapia pulled out a handgun and shot Santos Jr. twice, the PC statement says. Tapia then ran from the scene but was later arrested.
“This is another senseless act of violence and further evidence of the tragedy that often results when handguns are used to resolve disputes," said Denver District Attorney Beth McCann in a statement. "I am very pleased that Vincent Tapia will pay a significant price for his actions that day. I want to thank the prosecutors and investigators in my office, as well as the Denver Police detectives, whose hard work on the case has brought a measure of justice to Ricardo Santos’ family.”
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