Pueblo man accused of murder said February shooting was self-defense
A Pueblo man arrested last week on suspicion of fatally shooting a woman on Feb. 24 said in a 911 call he acted in self-defense, according to a Pueblo Police Department arrest affidavit.
Police say 30-year-old Francisco Ruiz, who stands accused of first-degree murder in the shooting of 34-year-old Heather Duran, called police dispatch after shooting Duran and said the two of them had been arguing and she had tried to attack him with a boxcutter knife, forcing him to shoot her with a handgun.
When police arrived, they found Duran's body with a single gunshot wound to the head and a boxcutter in her left hand.
A neighbor of Ruiz's stated to police that after his girlfriend heard two gunshots from the residence, he called Ruiz and asked what was going on, to which Ruiz reportedly said that Duran ran at him "with a razor knife." He then told the neighbor he had to hang up and call paramedics, according to the affidavit.
The neighbor told police he had never noted any hostility between Duran and Ruiz, who were roommates at the time of the shooting. The neighbor said he had spoken to Duran that morning and she had not expressed any issue with Ruiz at the time. He stated neither Duran or Ruiz were violent people, in his experience.
Duran's boyfriend told investigators he was in the apartment when the incident occurred but he did not actually see the shooting. The boyfriend, according to the affidavit, told police that Ruiz and Duran were arguing over a maintenance issue that had caused water from the bathroom to drip onto Duran's bed. He said Ruiz came into Duran's room from the hallway and pushed her. The two then exited the room, still arguing, and Duran's boyfriend heard gunshots.
The boyfriend said he came out of Duran's room and saw Ruiz, who he alleged pointed a gun at him and told him to leave. He stated he saw Duran laying facedown in the hallway and she had nothing in her hands.
He told police he and Duran had dated "on and off" for six years and he never knew her to be violent.
Members of Duran's family told investigators they had never known Duran to carry weapons. When asked by police, they said Duran was right-handed.
Investigators noted in the arrest affidavit that Ruiz was the subject of an unrelated restraining order that forbade him from possessing a firearm. Along with the handgun used to kill Duran, detectives recovered two other firearms at the residence.
Ruiz is set for a first appearance in court Wednesday in front of 10th Judicial District Judge Allison P. Ernst.
All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in court. Arrests and charges are merely accusations by law enforcement until, and unless, a suspect is convicted of a crime.
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This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Pueblo murder suspect claims self-defense in February shooting
