A 26-year-old man died after he was chased down and run over by a van as he was trying to get the license-plate information of a hit-and-run vehicle, according to court records.
Anthony Apodaca, 30, has been arrested on investigation of first-degree murder in the Sept. 13 death of Oscar Ontiveros-Ortega.
The alleged crime, in which a van was the murder weapon, happened after a fight at Angel’s Sports Bar, 1630 Federal Blvd.
Apodaca was at the bar with his girlfriend, Frances Sanders, 27, and her brother and sister-in-law when an argument broke out, court records say.
About 11:15 p.m., Sanders walked outside to have a cigarette and began speaking with Ontiveros-Ortega.
Apodaca saw his girlfriend speaking with Ontiveros-Ortega. The two men got into a fight, with others joining in.
In the meantime, Sanders and her sister- in-law, Jeanette Duran, 26, climbed into a maroon van and were driving out of the bar’s lot when they hit a parked car. The report does not indicate who was driving. The van didn’t stop.
Ontiveros-Ortega ran after the van to get the license-plate number. The two women threw things at him as he chased them, court records say.
Apodaca and Sanders’ brother, Frank Duran, jumped into another van and raced down the parking lot toward Ontiveros-Ortega while witnesses yelled at them to slow down. Witnesses told police their brake lights did not go on and the van smashed into Ontiveros- Ortega, who flew off the side of the vehicle.
The van sped away. Police arrested Jeanette Duran and Sanders several blocks away and were able to track down Apodaca and Frank Duran. Police found a gray Nissan Quest at Frank Duran’s house that had damage to the front windshield, the report says.
Apodaca has previously been arrested and convicted of numerous counts of domestic violence, menacing and marijuana possession.
Staff writer Kirk Mitchell can be reached at 303-954-1206 or kmitchell@denverpost.com.
