AURORA, Colo. – The man arrested in the deadly shooting of a 12-year-old boy in Aurora changed his story of the events leading up to the crime several times before finally admitting there was no reason for him to fire his weapon in the first place, according an arrest affidavit in the case obtained by Denver7 Tuesday.
Rolando Felipe, 18, is accused of killing 12-year-old King Matthew Wright and seriously injuring 13-year-old Tayamir Sir Real Winston in a drive-by shooting on Zion Street Friday afternoon.
During questioning by detectives following the shooting, Felipe at first told Aurora police he was contacted by someone on Facebook the day of the shooting who went by the name of "WillowSt Yung Vdot" and agreed to meet with him and his brothers because he "really wanted his black iPhone 12 back" after he had allegedly been pistol-whipped and robbed by a group of Black men at a party the week before.
The affidavit does not say whether "WillowSt Yung Vdot" told Felipe anything about recovering his stolen possessions, which included his iPhone, "an AR pistol, clothing and jewelry."
Upon arriving at their meeting location, Felipe told detectives he saw two men in ski masks and with their hoodies up walking towards him who he claimed, “produced handguns and pointed them at him,” according to the arrest affidavit.
Felipe told detectives he was scared and that’s when started shooting at both males, approximately a total of five times, arresting documents show.
When asked further questions about the events that led up to the shooting, however, the suspect “would change his story several times,” eventually admitting that neither of the two males had a mask over their face and no guns were actually seen or pointed at him, the arrest affidavit states.
Felipe told detectives he “believed he saw the outline of a ‘big ass gun’ in the waistband area of one of the males” but could not say for certain whether it was a gun.
The affidavit goes further and states, “Rolando also admitted he could have driven away and that he did not have to fire” at the two boys.
Aurora detectives later interviewed 13-year-old Winston at Children’s Hospital, where the boy was hospitalized after sustaining a shotgun wound to his left leg.
During the interview, the boy told detectives Felipe was supposed to pick them up that day to “hang out,” but as the boys walked up the street to meet Felipe, the suspect “suddenly began to fire a handgun at him and King, shooting both of them before driving away.”
Winston’s older brother, 18-year-old Tayomond Thomas, told police in a separate interview he told his little brother and Wright to be careful if Felipe was going to pick them up as he “didn’t trust anyone” and told both of the boys to give the suspect a different address up the street so they could be picked up there.
The victim’s older brother told police he knew Felipe as they both went North Middle School and Aurora Central High School together.
A search on Facebook and information from Thomas would eventually lead authorities to Felipe, who was arrested that night at around 7:30 p.m. – more than four hours following the drive-by shooting.
Felipe is facing one count of first-degree murder and one count attempted first-degree murder, according to police.
Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 720-913-7867. Tipsters can remain anonymous and could earn a reward of up to $2,000.
