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Tipster helped police ID suspect

Call led officers to car dealer in probe of Young's slaying

By Brian D. Crecente, Rocky Mountain News
June 1, 2005

An anonymous tip and a used car dealer helped police identify a man they say gunned down Denver detectives Donnie Young and John Bishop.

Young and Bishop were shot in the back as they were working off-duty security at a baptism party early May 8.

Young later died.

Police received an anonymous tip the morning of May 9 on their CrimeStoppers line that led them to a Denver used car dealer. The detective had only the first name of the suspect and a temporary tag for the suspect's car.

"They didn't have much to go on," said Andre Price, owner of Price Rite Motors. Price was able to look up the tag, which showed the car was purchased by Raul Garcia-Gomez on April 18.

Price also gave the detective a copy of the credit application, which included Garcia-Gomez's full name, date of birth, where he lived and where he worked.

He said the detective stopped by the dealership about noon and stayed for about half an hour. "The information I gave them surely was helpful," Price said.

He said he told the detective he even remembered selling the 1995 Dodge Neon to the man who would later be accused of killing Young.

"He seemed to be a hardworking and nice enough guy," Price said of Garcia-Gomez. "He told me he had been saving his money to purchase a car."

The detective left the dealership about 12:30 p.m., Price said.

Later that day, detectives interviewed Garcia-Gomez's girlfriend at length. The officers said Sandra Rivas told them that her boyfriend confessed to the killing, CBS 4 News reported the night of May 10.

The woman later told a Rocky Mountain News reporter about the confession, saying that she sensed something was wrong with Garcia-Gomez when he returned home from the party about 1:30 a.m. May 8. She said that Garcia-Gomez asked for her forgiveness and admitted to shooting the two officers.

The suspect went to work the morning after the shooting then apparently fled the state after getting off work.

About 3 a.m. May 10, Denver Police Chief Gerry Whitman held a press conference to announce that Garcia-Gomez was a suspect in the shootings of Bishop and Young.

crecenteb@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-892-281