Teen Boy Fatally Stabbed, Mother Beaten, Juvenile Suspect Arrested

The victim is a 12-year old boy who died of apparent stab wounds. A second victim, believed to be the suspect’s mother, sustained injuries from a blunt object attack and is being treated at CommonSpirit Mercy Hospital in Durango. The names of the victims are being withheld as the investigation is ongoing. The incident was reported by a motorist who was involved in a single vehicle accident shortly after 7 a.m., believed to have been caused by the suspect as he fled the residence on Snowy Peaks Way. Deputies discovered the scene when they arrived to investigate the accident.

From the LaPlata County Sheriff's Office:

Thursday, October 24, 2024

La Plata County Sheriff’s deputies are investigating a homicide that took place Thursday morning in the Southwest Horizon Ranch subdivision southeast of Durango. A 16-year old male suspect is in custody. Preliminary reports of two deceased victims were incorrect.

The victim is a 12-year old boy who died of apparent stab wounds. A second victim, believed to be the suspect’s mother, sustained injuries from a blunt object attack and is being treated at CommonSpirit Mercy Hospital in Durango. The names of the victims are being withheld as the investigation is ongoing.

The incident was reported by a motorist who was involved in a single vehicle accident shortly after 7 a.m., believed to have been caused by the suspect as he fled the residence on Snowy Peaks Way. Deputies discovered the scene when they arrived to investigate the accident.

The suspect, whose name also is being withheld as he is a juvenile, fled the residence on foot, prompting a shelter-in-place lockdown order for a 4-mile radius around the U.S. Highway 160 and Colorado Highway 172 intersection, commonly known as Elmore’s Corner. He was apprehended on Escalante Drive near the Rocket Pointe apartments, approximately 6 miles from the crime scene, after a 9-1-1 call from a resident identified the suspect. He was taken into custody after deputies deployed a Taser unit. Durango Police and an Air One helicopter from San Juan County, NM assisted in the search and apprehension.