Boulder DA: 'Be Careful What You Take'
BOULDER, Colo. (CBS4)- Boulder's district attorney has a warning for those who take drugs after an intruder, allegedly under the influence of mushrooms, was shot and killed after breaking into a home and attacking the homeowner. Stan Garnett has determined the homeowner acted in self defense.
"The message is be careful what you take and how much and then watch out for your friends," said Garnett.
Garnett announced on Wednesday that no charges will be filed against the man who shot and killed Roberto Zamora who broke into the man's Boulder home because it falls under Colorado's "Make My Day" law.
"Which permits you to use deadly force against an intruder who enters your house without consent and who appears to be going to use force against anyone else, that definitely applied here," said Garnett.
Police said Zamora, 19, ran through the neighborhood near South Boulder Road and Highway 36 on Pima Court on May 4, causing a big disturbance and making a lot of noise until finally he stopped at one home and broke in. The banging actually started in the back of the house when the female resident of the home called 911.
After Zamora broke through two front doors, one glass, and attacked the homeowner, the homeowner shot him. Zamora did not survive.
Police believe Zamora may have tried to break into other homes in the area before reaching the final house.
Garnett also said people walking into strange homes happens more often than people may think.
"We see a lot of cases in Boulder of intoxicated or under the influence of drugs, people entering other houses or trespassing and doing crazy things."
Garnett said 10 times a month people under the influence of drugs or alcohol in Boulder mistakenly wander into other people's homes.
Authorities believe Zamora was under the influence of psilocybin or psychedelic mushrooms at the time. A final toxicology report is weeks away but authorities believe Zamora had ingested the psychedelic mushrooms hours before his death.
"The police interviewed this young man's friends, Mr. Zamora's friends, and talked with a lot of them and he allegedly had been taking mushrooms and possibly other drugs prior to this and had been acting very violently and very bizzarely," said Garnett.
