Suspect in Thornton officer shooting arrested

Luis Arebalo, the suspect in the Oct. 11 shooting of a Thornton Police officer, is in custody. 

 

On Oct. 13 at about 5:30 p.m., Thornton Police received multiple calls from community members reporting they had seen Arebalo walking near Riverdale Road and 120th Avenue. Officers responded, and Arebalo was taken into custody without incident. He did not have any apparent injuries at the time of his arrest.

 

 

Formal charges will be determined by the 17th Judicial District Attorney’s Office. 

 

On Oct. 11, at about 9:30 p.m., Thornton Police officers responded to the 12800 block of Ulster Street. During the incident, Arebalo fired multiple rounds at officers, striking one officer. A second officer returned fire. Arebalo fled the scene. 

 

In the hours after the shooting, SWAT, K9 teams and patrol officers searched the area within the perimeter, supported by drones, a Denver Police Department helicopter and a Colorado State Patrol airplane.  

 

Over the next two days, investigators searched Arebalo’s vehicle and the surrounding area, followed up on tips and worked with federal partners and neighboring jurisdictions to locate him. Arebalo’s name and photo were released to the public, and Metro Denver Crime Stoppers offered a reward of up to $4,000 for information leading to him. 

 

The injured officer has been released from the hospital and is expected to make a full recovery. 

 

We are grateful to the residents who recognized Arebalo and called 911. Those calls led directly to a safe arrest. Thank you also to Metro Denver Crime Stoppers and everyone in the community who shared his information over the past two days. 

 

We are proud of the officers who responded that night and remained diligent under extremely dangerous circumstances. We are also proud of the investigators who worked around the clock to bring this to a safe end. Our dispatchers also played a critical role, managing a high volume of emergency calls, coordinating resources and keeping officers informed throughout. 

 

Thornton Police Department is especially grateful to the agencies that assisted with K9 and area searches, perimeter support, air and drone support, SWAT and crisis negotiation, and handling calls for service in Thornton during the incident: 

 

This arrest is the result of our community and law enforcement working together, and we are grateful to everyone who played a part.