DENVER – Authorities have increased the reward to $10,000 for information about a Denver teen's killing at a park in Green Valley Ranch in September.
Diego Marquez, 17, was found shot to death in the Green Valley West Ranch park on the morning of Sept. 21.
Nearby residents had reported hearing gunshots about 1 a.m., but police responded and found no victims in the area. A worker at the park found Marquez later that morning, about 8 a.m.
Major crimes Lt. Matt Clark announced the reward increase at a news conference Thursday. Clark said detectives are actively working the case but need the community's help for more information.
"Detectives are confident people in the community have information about the case," Clark said. "This information will help break the case and provide closure for Diego and his family."
Marquez's family helped get the funding to increase the reward, Clark said.
Tips can be submitted by calling Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 720-913-STOP (7867).
"I just want justice for my son and to get those individuals off the street," said Marquez's father, Jose Marquez. "If you know something please come out and tell us."
Few details have been released about the killing. The shooting happened in a darkened area of the park, and no cameras were nearby.
Jose Marquez has pushed for more lights at the park, to increase safety, and he told Denver7 in December that he suspected his son's murder was gang-related.
Clark on Thursday said he could not confirm gangs were involved in the shooting because there wasn't enough evidence to support that.