Murder Suspect Arrested After 1 Week On The Run
DENVER (CBS4)- The man wanted in a deadly shooting of his ex-girlfriend's friend was arrested after being on the run from police for a week.
Police in Littleton believe Joshua Hoppe shot and killed James Barnes, 55, after the victim threatened Hoppe with a machete on Aug. 13. The shooting happened at approximately 8:05 p.m. in the 500 block of West Peakview Avenue near Broadway and East Arapahoe Road.
Hoppe, 32, fled the scene, police said, after the altercation. Police issued an arrest warrant for first-degree murder charges for Hoppe, whose 10-year criminal record includes felony convictions for drugs and weapons.
Police in Denver caught up to Hoppe about 1:15 a.m. Wednesday at an apartment complex near the intersection of Quebec and Leetsdale. A Denver SWAT team and a fugitive task force helped take Hoppe into custody.
"Anytime you have someone like this out in the community you want to take them into custody just for the sake of the safety of the community. It's always nerve-wracking especially when you have an individual like this who has a criminal history and has at least been suspected of killing another human being. They can become dangerous so getting him off the streets is very important," said Littleton Police Investigative Div. Cmdr. Trent Cooper.
Hoppe is being held on suspicion of first-degree murder at the Arapahoe County Jail.
