Police: 18-year-old robbed and killed couple who responded to ad for used car
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Aurora, CO (KCNC) — Aurora police say a couple was shot and killed after responding to an online advertisement for a used car. Investigators say 18-year-old Kyree Brown admitted to stealing the 2017 Toyota RAV4 and posting it for sale on the Letgo app. When Joseph and Jossline Roland met him to buy the car, with thousands of dollars in cash, Brown allegedly pulled a gun — and shot them as they tried to get away.
According to the arrest affidavit, the Rolands left home at about 11 p.m. on Aug. 14 to meet the seller at Southlands Mall.
Brown said he met the couple at the mall and told them he accidentally brought the wrong vehicle title. He asked them to follow him to an apartment on East Cornell Circle near South Parker Road.
Brown said he pointed the gun at Joseph Roland, while the couple was still in their car, and demanded the money. He said Joseph Roland grabbed his arm and said the car started moving. Brown said the decided to shoot Joseph and accidentally shot Jossline.
Joseph and Jossline Roland died later at the hospital.
Brown allegedly told police he took $3,000 from the couple and tried to set the stolen RAV4 on fire near Havana Street and East Colfax Avenue.
After the shooting, investigators went to the Roland’s home and made contact with the couple’s juvenile son and Joseph Roland’s 17-year-old daughter. The girl said her father “flips” cars for a living — and that she originally planned to go with him to buy the RAV4. However, she decided to go to her boyfriend’s house and her step-mother went instead.
After the shooting, police say Brown posted the car for sale on the app again, using the same photo and email address — under the user name Jessica Harlan. At that point, police say the car was already at their impound lot.
After searching cell phone records and conversations in the Letgo app, police were able to ping Brown’s phone and track down his location. He was arrested on Aug. 27, after a chase which ended near 29th Avenue and Central Park Boulevard in Denver.
The Rolands have five children. Family members and the Law Offices of Dianne Sawaya are establishing trusts for the support and education of the children, and hope to have them formally established and ready to receive contributions in the coming weeks.”
Aurora police shared a statement from family members that read, in part:
“Joe and Jossline are irreplaceable and will be dearly missed. Your continued support, respect for privacy, and prayers are most appreciated in this time of unimaginable loss and grief.”
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