Pueblo police are crediting targeting wanted, gang-affiliated criminals with nabbing two wanted men.
Robert Lopez, 28, was taken into custody on a $25,000 bond warrant on suspicion of felony assault and a $10,000 bond warrant for accusations of assault.
Austin Aragon, 19, was arrested on a $5,000 bond warrant for accusations of felony burglary.
The wanted poster program began on Aug. 1 as part of efforts to bolster the city’s . The initiative includes involvement from the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force and is slated to run indefinitely.
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Lopez and Aragon were each featured in posters distributed in the last two weeks. Police say tips from the public helped authorities track the men down.
The posts feature two fugitives with high-bond warrants and some link to the city’s gang activity. The initiative targets criminals “responsible for a lot of the crime,” said Sgt. Eric Gonzales, a police spokesman.
Violence in Pueblo has soared over the past two years, pushing the city’s per-capita homicide rate , a Denver Post analysis found. Police blame an ongoing gang war and a dearth of officers available to address the problem.
Police have identified more than 1,000 gang members in Pueblo.
Jesse Paul: 303-954-1733, jpaul@denverpost.com or @JesseAPaul
