Carlos Trejo was taken into custody in the early hours of Sunday morning, before officers scrambled to investigate whether his grim story checked out.
The 36-year-old was allegedly caught trying to get inside a police substation at 7850 Goddard Street in Colorado Springs, Colorado, at 1:23 a.m. But once apprehended, police say he then confessed to killing his roommate. Officers raced to the scene and discovered a body, and Trejo was then arrested on suspicion of murder.
Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) said in a statement: “CSPD officers detained an adult male who had attempted to break into CSPD’s Falcon Police Substation. This adult male suspect informed officers that he had shot his roommate and wanted to turn himself in.
“Officers went to the suspect’s nearby apartment and discovered a deceased male at the residence. The Violent Crimes Unit was notified and responded. Their investigation is ongoing. The suspect was arrested for second degree murder and booked into the Criminal Justice Center.”
Trejo was booked into the El Paso County Jail, according to local news channel Denver 7.
Further details about the alleged murder and the victim haven’t yet been released. CSPD’s senior public communications supervisor, Robert Tornabene, told Newsweek that officers were unable to comment further at present “as this is still part of a criminal investigation.”
It isn’t the first time a suspect has been accused of breaking into a police station.
A Florida woman allegedly broke a window to get inside a law enforcement building, heated and ate an officer’s chicken and asparagus dinner, then left after polishing off her meal. She was arrested after accidentally leaving her ID behind, according to reports.
And police stations are also occasionally targets for more extreme violence.
In January last year, a group of protesters in the Californian city of Vacaville smashed windows and spray-painted messages including “Kill All Cops” at the local police department building. The violent scenes came amid a febrile atmosphere, with nationwide protests following the January 6 storming of the Capitol by demonstators who didn’t want outgoing president Donald Trump to cede power to newly elected Joe Biden.
Vacaville City Council member Roy Stockton shared photos of the vandalism on Facebook and wrote: “Please pray for our community and the men and women who protect us. We are better than this Vacaville!”
