A Durango man who was taken into custody in connection with an armed robbery and assault near the End-O-Day Motel has been arrested on separate charges in Grand Junction, with authorities there saying the man killed his brother.
Joshua Gallegos, 23, fled Durango after allegedly robbing and assaulting a man at gunpoint Dec. 19.
Gallegos was found and arrested in Grand Junction around Dec. 30, according to the Durango Police Department.
Cmdr. Ray Shupe said Friday that new charges were filed against Gallegos after the Grand Junction Police Department determined in an investigation that Gallegos shot and killed his brother, Jose, 31, of Fruita on Dec. 30.
Gallegos now faces charges of second-degree murder, first-degree assault, possession of a weapon by a previous offender, tampering with evidence, possession of a Schedule 2 controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Gallegos had been transferred to the La Plata County Jail, but after the Grand Junction Police Department’s findings, Shupe said he will be sent back to Grand Junction.
“There are more serious charges there, so we’ll let that play out first,” Shupe said. “When that’s done, he’ll go through our charges.”
A spokeswoman for the Grand Junction Police Department did not immediately return calls late Friday.
In a news release, Grand Junction police said emergency personnel were dispatched to 715 Struthers Ave. in Grand Junction on a report of an unresponsive male found in the restrooms at Las Colonias Park.
“Upon arrival, the victim, identified as Jose Phillip Gallegos, 31, of Grand Junction was found deceased,” the release said. “The Mesa County Coroner’s Office determined the manner and cause of death to be homicide as a result of multiple gunshot wounds.”
Gallegos was one of two suspects in the Dec. 19 incident in Durango. The other, Stephen Goupil, was arrested Jan. 5 in Missouri after nearly three weeks on the run.
Authorities say Gallegos and Goupil met an acquaintance near Taco Bell on north Main Avenue, and the group then went to the End-O-Day Motel at 350 East Eighth Ave.
There, Gallegos and Goupil are suspected of robbing and assaulting the victim at gunpoint, and stealing cash and a wallet. The victim escaped the robbers, contacted police and was ultimately taken to Mercy Regional Medical Center for treatment.
Authorities warned that Gallegos and Goupil were considered armed and dangerous.
jromeo@durangoherald.com
