ELBERT COUNTY, Colo. – The sheriff’s office believes a man from El Paso County was robbing an illegal marijuana grow in Elbert County Thursday morning when the homeowner confronted him and the two got into a gunfight that left both of them dead.
Deputies were called to a home in the 30000 block of Highway 24—outside of Simla—just before 8 a.m. Thursday on a report of a suspicious death.
Outside the home, deputies found the body of 30-year-old Luis Suarez of El Paso County. He had been shot in the torso and was found dead when deputies arrived.
Inside, deputies found the homeowner, 48-year-old Donn Zorens, who was also dead of “at least one gunshot wound.”
The Elbert County Sheriff’s Office said Friday that investigators discovered evidence that the two men had been in a gunfight inside the home.
The sheriff’s office says it believes Suarez broke into Zorens’ 31-acre property aiming to rob him, which is when the shooting happened. Both men died at the scene.
Deputies said they believe Suarez had connections to organized drug crime activity in Elbert and El Paso counties.
The sheriff’s office is asking anyone with more information about the shooting to call 303-805-6114.