DENVER — A suspect who fatally stabbed a man on an RTD bus in an unprovoked attack Thursday morning went on to kill a woman less than two miles away, according to the Denver Police Department.
The first stabbing happened around 5:10 a.m. on an RTD bus near West 32nd Avenue and North Federal Boulevard.
Officers arrived and found a man who had been stabbed in the neck multiple times. He was taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead a short time later. The suspect fled the scene before authorities arrived.
Investigators initially thought the incident began as an argument. But after reviewing surveillance video, Denver police said the attack appears to have been unprovoked.
According to an arrest affidavit, the bus driver reported that the suspect got on the bus and paid $5 after saying he couldn't find his bus pass. He then made his way to the back of the bus. The next thing the driver knew, other passengers were telling her to stop the bus because someone was being stabbed. The driver stopped and called 911.
Surveillance video shows the victim getting on a bus alone at 4:39 a.m. at Federal and Evans Avenue, which is the start of that route. He took a seat at the far back of the bus on the passenger side, the affidavit states.
Denver police said the trip was "uneventful" until he got on another bus at 5:08 a.m. in the 3200 block of Federal. After getting on the bus, the man walked to the back of the bus and "immediately, without provocation or warning, began stabbing the victim in the left side of his neck, with an object in his right hand," according to court documents.
The suspect "calmly" exited the bus through the back door and walked out of the camera's view, the affidavit states.
Four hours later, around 9:50 a.m., officers were dispatched to another stabbing near West 50th Avenue and North Federal Boulevard — about 1.9 miles north of the first stabbing. Officers located a woman, who was pronounced dead at the scene.
According to a probable cause statement, a witnesses who was picking trash for Regis University saw the woman walking eastbound on 50th. The witness went to another area to pick up trash. A few minutes later, they arrived back and found the woman lying on the ground bleeding, according to the statement. The witness saw the suspect standing near the victim.
Officers spotted a man who matched the suspect description in the 5500 block of North Lowell Boulevard. He was arrested without incident, according to Denver police.
The man — later identified as Vichenzo Moscoso, 29 — had blood on his hands, and a bloody knife was recovered from his right front pocket, according to the statement.
Moscoso is currently on parole for aggravated robbery, according to his arrest affidavit. He also has a "lengthy criminal history including weapons offenses," the affidavit states.
Moscoso is being held for two counts of investigation of first-degree murder. The Denver District Attorney's Office will make a final determination on charges.
The Denver Office of the Medical Examiner will release the victims' names and causes of death at a later time.
Regis University was placed on a brief shelter-in-place following the second statement.
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