A Denver man will serve more than 30 years in prison for fatally shooting a man who asked him for free food in 2025
The Denver District Attorney’s Office says Rafael Acosta-Hernandez was selling food out of his pickup truck on N. Zuni Street when he was approached by Leonel Silva-Perez. They say he became angry when Silva-Perez asked for free food and chased him into the alley before shooting him multiple times
The Denver Police Department said two women witnessed the shooting. One attempted to save Silva-Perez while the other followed Acosta-Hernandez’s truck while on the phone with dispatchers
Silva-Perez later died at the hospital. Authorities say he was not armed when he was shot
Acosta-Hernandez pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree murder, for which he received the maximum sentence of 38 years in prison
Denver Police Department
“One year later, Leonel Silva-Perez’s murder remains impossible to explain. After simply asking for food, he was chased down an alley and shot numerous times by Rafael Acosta-Hernandez. This sentence ensures that Acosta-Hernandez will pay a heavy price, as he should, for his senseless and destructive actions,” said District Attorney John Walsh. “I want to thank the prosecutors, investigators and victim advocates in my office, as well as Detective Steven Seidel of the Denver Police Department’s Homicide Unit, whose outstanding work resulted in the successful resolution of this case.”
