Street racers help police track down Jeremy Rocha, I-70 deadly shooting suspect
Newly released police paperwork reveals how investigators found the driver accused of shooting another driver on I-70. Jeremy Rocha is charged with first-degree murder and attempted murder in the death of Jonathan Jaros.
According to witness statements detailed in Rocha's arrest affidavit, Rocha was driving his white Mustang eastbound on I-70 near Tower Road on June 18. He was getting ready to race a black Chevy Camaro and two other cars were lined up to block traffic for the race.
Witnesses, including Jaros's wife, say Jaros used the shoulder to drive his truck around the racers. That's when Rocha allegedly fired his gun from behind them. Jaros was shot in the head and his wife put the car in neutral to guide them off the highway. His 11-year-old son was behind him in the backseat and ducked when the shots were fired. Investigators later found bullet fragments in the boy's seat. They also found a bullet lodged in the bed of the truck, directly behind the boy's seat.
At the scene of the shooting, officers say they found 11 shell casings, which were later matched to casings from two other shootings. The first shooting was outside a party in Aurora on June 6, 2021. Witnesses say several men were firing guns into the air. No one was injured. The second shooting was on Oct.17, 2021 outside a party in Adams County. Again, no one was injured.
Two days after the shooting on I-70, one of the drivers who'd been blocking traffic for the race contacted Aurora police. He told detectives that he met Rocha at a stop light and followed him to a nearby gas station, where other drivers had gathered. Investigators later used surveillance video from that gas station, as well as the credit card transaction, to track down the driver of the black Ford Mustang involved in the street race. That driver identified Rocha as the driver of the white Mustang, which fired the shots at Jaros's truck. Police arrested Rocha on June 23, 2022. He's being held without bond and his next hearing is scheduled for July 27.
