A custody battle led to two people being shot and injured in a brawl at a Pueblo residence last weekend.
Ryan Bobby Cruz, 28, was arrested Monday on suspicion of attempted first-degree murder and possession of a gun by a previous offender. Police claim he shot and seriously injured a man and woman during the fight.
Cruz is not related to the child involved in the custody battle but resided in the home where she lived with her father.
Other family members said they would remove the child from the home, according to the affidavit.
When the girl’s father told them they would not take her away, a group of people including the girl’s mother and uncle showed up at the house and were let in through the back door by one of the residents.
After being told which room the girl was in, the uncle reportedly kicked in her bedroom door, according to the affidavit.
According to a witness in the group who entered the house, the girl didn’t want to leave, so they allegedly began “forcing her out of the bedroom,” which led to a fight.
Cellphone video of the conflict showed the girl being pulled from her bed by her mother and then thrown to the ground by her uncle, police said.
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Cruz lived on the property and as the situation unfolded, found himself in the kitchen, allegedly with a gun, police said.
The girl’s mother and uncle fought with Cruz and were shot before everyone in the entering group retreated from the house. Both were taken to hospital with serious injuries but are expected to survive.
After the shooting, police tried to speak to Cruz and the friend he was living with at the home, but the couple fled the scene, according to the affidavit.
Cruz was arrested Monday after police determined he matched the description of the shooter provided by witnesses.
The girl’s father told police he believed Cruz was defending the girl and the home when he shot the two individuals. The father also said he felt threatened by the intrusion.
The story goes on
Cruz is being held in the Pueblo County Jail on $250,000 bail.
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All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in court. Arrests and indictments are merely allegations by law enforcement agencies until and unless a suspect is convicted of a crime.
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This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Pueblo Police Say Double Gunshots Caused Custody Battle
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