Diego Lopez is a teen killer from Colorado who would be convicted of the murder of fourteen year old Josiaz “Jojo” Aragon
According to court documents seventeen year old Diego Lopez and Josiaz “Jojo” Aragon would meet outside of a Denver Colorado recreation center in what police believe was a gun sale. Soon after meeting Lopez would shoot and beat the fourteen year old causing his death. Lopez would then grab the money he paid for the gun as well as the victims cellphone
Diego Lopez would be arrested and charged as an adult. Lopez would plead guilty to second degree murder and would be sentenced to forty eight years in prison
Diego Lopez Case
A man was sentenced to 48 years behind bars after pleading guilty to the 2022 killing of a 14-year-old boy outside of a Denver recreation center.
In addition to prison time, Diego Lopez, 19, was ordered to pay $10,000 in compensation to the victim’s family.
Lopez pleaded guilty in April to second-degree murder in connection with the death of 14-year-old Josiaz “Jojo” Aragon. Other charges were dismissed as part of the plea agreement
Prosecutors said Lopez beat, shot and killed Jojo outside of the Southwest Recreation Center on West Saratoga Place on Aug. 8, 2022 — two days before Jojo’s 15th birthday.
According to an arrest affidavit from Denver Police, the two met at the rec center for a gun sale. Lopez shot Jojo in the back as he left, the affidavit says. Lopez then took the victim’s phone and took back the money he had paid for the weapon, the affidavit says.
Police said Jojo and Lopez knew each other and had previously gone to school together, and they may have been involved in a prior gun sale. Lopez was 16 years old at the time but was charged as an adult.
Diego Lopez News
On Monday, August 8, 2022, Denver police officers responded to the Southwest Recreation Center on a report of a man who appeared to have been shot in the face. That victim, who was pronounced dead on the scene, was later identified by the Office of the Medical Examiner as 14-year-old Josiaz Aragon. The cause of death was determined to be from multiple sharp and blunt force injuries with a gunshot wound and the manner of death was ruled a homicide.
On September 30, 2022, the Denver Police Department announced the arrest of a 17-year-old juvenile male for the incident. Today, prosecutors with the Denver DA’s Office direct filed a criminal case against Diego E. Lopez for the murder of Josiaz “JoJo” Aragon.
Lopez is charged with one count of murder in the first degree (F1), one count aggravated robbery-real or simulated weapon (F3), one count of tampering with physical evidence (F6), one count of possessing a firearm as a juvenile (M2) and the sentence enhancing charge of using a weapon to commit a violent crime. This is Denver District Court case number 22CR20008. All juveniles that have their criminal case direct filed into Adult District Court; are afforded the right (per statute) to request a Reverse Transfer Hearing.
