YOUR AD HERE »

Carbondale man shot by friend, police allege

John Colson
Glenwood Springs Post Independent

CARBONDALE — An Englewood man accused of shooting and seriously wounding a Carbondale man earlier this month will be in court on Oct. 23 to face charges of felony assault and other crimes.

Carmello Jose Cruz, 43, was arrested in Glenwood Springs early the morning of Oct. 13 after he allegedly shot a friend of his, Rocky Mendoza. Cruz has been charged with second-degree assault with a gun and illegal discharge of a firearm, both felonies.

The incident reportedly occurred while the two were drinking in a shed outside Mendoza’s trailer at a mobile-home park at 98 Garfield Ave. on the east side of Carbondale.



According to court documents, the two men, along with Mendoza’s nephew Enrique, had been drinking for some time in the shed when Cruz pulled out a pistol that the three had been “playing with” earlier in the evening, as described by the nephew.

Cruz fired the pistol twice and then was told by Enrique that Mendoza had been hit by one of the shots.