A man faces first-degree murder charges after allegedly stabbing his brother in the neck in a Thornton parking lot, according to court records.
Thornton officers responded to a “bleeding and unresponsive” man at an , 8700 Grant St., just before 11 p.m. on March 25, according to an arrest affidavit. The parking lot was empty when officers arrived, aside from the injured man, but several people were spotted walking on a nearby bridge that connected the east and west RTD parking lots, the affidavit stated.
Paramedics took the man, identified in the affidavit as 29-year-old Stephen Rivas, to the hospital, where he died from a stab wound to the neck, police said. His brother, 25-year-old Zamien Rivas, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder in his death, Adams County court records show.
The woman who called 911 told investigators that she heard the two brothers arguing in the parking lot about Stephen Rivas claiming to be a Crips gang member, according to the affidavit.
She called the police when she saw the older brother collapsed on the ground, but didn’t see what caused his injury, police said.
One man said he saw a man he believed to be Zamien Rivas collapse over Stephen Rivas’ body in the parking lot after the fight, yelling “no Stevie” and “don’t die Stevie,” the affidavit stated. Zamien Rivas and an unidentified girl ran from the parking lot to the RTD bus terminal when they heard police sirens, leaving Stephen’s body behind, the man told police.
The witness and his girlfriend ended up on the same bus as the couple who ran and overheard their conversation, according to the affidavit.
Zamien Rivas was crying and kept saying “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to do this,” the girlfriend told police. She said she saw Zamien throw a knife during his fight with Stephen, which he picked up before fleeing the scene, the affidavit stated.
Zamien Rivas was arrested on suspicion of first-degree murder and will next appear in court on May 14, according to court records. He is being held at the Adams County Sheriff’s Detention Facility without bail, .
