Latest news with #EbenezerWorku
Daily Mail
15-05-2025
- Daily Mail
Brave single mom was battling breast cancer for fourth time...then stray bullet flew through her window
A brave single Colorado mother who was battling breast cancer for a fourth time tragically died after a stray bullet flew through her window. Jennifer James, 49, was undergoing chemotherapy when she was struck by a bullet while sitting inside her Berthoud home around 11.20pm on April 28, according to police. Deputies with the Larimer County Sheriff's Office arrived at the home and immediately provided first aid to her after the bullet struck her arm and traveled to her chest. Unfortunately, James died at the scene. Several others were inside the home at the time of the shooting. No one else was injured, police said. On May 1, the department arrested Ebenezer Worku, 20, in connection to her death after capturing him on surveillance footage inside a Nissan Rogue in front of her home around 11.18pm, an affidavit reviewed by KDVR said. He later admitted to police that he 'accidentally' discharged his firearm that night but did not know anyone was nearby, documents said. Another video showed Worku at a Conoco gas station just before 11pm getting out of the car and appearing to interact with the vehicle's license plates before meeting with a driver of a blue 2002 Dodge Ram, records showed. A day after the horrific incident, the Nissan was involved in a car crash. When an officer made contact with the driver, identified as Worku, bodycam footage showed a handgun holster underneath his jacket, per records. Investigators also pinged his cell phone to a Cabela's parking lot where the driver of the Doge was seen entering the store and leaving with two boxes of live cartridges that he handed to Worku, the affidavit stated. Both Worku and the unidentified driver of the other vehicle were taken into custody. A Glock 22, .40 caliber handgun with extended magazines was found wedged between the Nissan's driver seat and center console. After waiving his Miranda rights, Worku told investigators he suffers from 'homicidal schizophrenia,' leading him to hear voices that convince him to harm others, according to the affidavit. He also told police he was not taking his prescription medication for two years. Worku said he got the handgun as a birthday gift from his 'adopted uncle,' who was later identified as the driver of the Dodge, documents said. He said the weapon was only meant for target shooting at a gun range and was normally kept in a storage unit. Before admitting to the crime, he told cops he met the other driver at another gas station to pick up another magazine earlier that night before heading to an airsoft facility in Erie. He also told police he was driving his father's Honda CR-V because his Nissan was in the shop, the affidavit said. Police then told him they had proof he was in the area and told him that he killed someone, which appeared to leave him emotionally distressed, per the affidavit. Afterward, he got his story straight and told officers he met the Dodge driver at the gas station to pick up a marijuana cartridge and had taped his license plates to avoid paying for tolls on his way back home. While on his way home, Worku said he 'accidently' fired the weapon while he cleaned it, adding that he was unfamiliar with the specific gun, records said. He said he then fired the gun again without realizing there was a live round inside, per the affidavit. Worku is set to appear in court on June 6. Worku said he was not aiming at anything in particular and had assumed the bullets would hit a wall. He also saw that curtains in James' home appeared to be mostly closed, so he didn't think he hit anyone, records showed. After he fired the weapon, he turned his headlights off and drove away, Worku said. According to the affidavit, he repeatedly told officers to 'put me in jail,' and added: 'I did it, and I'm getting punished for it.' He's been charged with first-degree murder - extreme indifference. A $1.25 million cash bond was set for him. The small Colorado community has been left reeling following James' tragic death. She spent 20 years battling breast cancer after being diagnosed at the age of 29. Loved ones created a GoFundMe page for her family during this difficult time, and remembered the late mother as 'the epitome of sunshine.' 'Anyone who knew her thought of her as the nicest person they had known,' it read. She has left behind her four children who she raised on her own, the page detailed. As of Thursday afternoon more than $65,400 was raised for them. A celebration of life was held for James Wednesday.
New York Post
13-05-2025
- New York Post
Single mom who beat cancer 4 times killed by random bullet fired at home
A Colorado single mom who managed to beat cancer four times was tragically killed when a stranger who claimed he was just cleaning his gun fired bullets into her home, cops said. Jennifer James, 49, was fatally shot when 20-year-old Ebenezer Worku allegedly opened fire from his car while parked outside the victim's house in Berthoud, north of Denver, on April 28. The gunman told police that he accidentally shot at the home with his Glock 22 handgun — and then fired again when he was trying to clear the chamber, KDVR reported, citing a police affidavit. Advertisement 4 Cancer survivor Jennifer James, 49, was fatally struck by a random bullet in her home just outside Denver on April 28. Gofundme One of the bullets tore through a window and ended up striking James in the arm and chest, cops said. The mom-of-four managed to call 911 before she collapsed and stopped breathing. First responders attempted first aid but she was pronounced dead on the scene. Advertisement Two of her kids were home at the time of the deadly ordeal, police said. 4 Ebenezer Worku, 20, allegedly opened fire from his car while allegedly trying to clean his gun. Larimer County Sheriff's Office 4 Two of the victim's four children were home when the shooting unfolded, cops said. Gofundme 'It just makes me mad that such a senseless act of violence occurred,' James' oldest daughter, Ashley James, said. Advertisement 'You never think that's going to happen to you.' The slain mom had beaten cancer four times, her family said. 4 The mom-of-four managed to call 911 before she collapsed and stopped breathing. Gofundme 'She was the most selfless mom that anyone could ask for,' Ashley said. 'She kind of devoted her whole life to us kids, so I'll be forever grateful for everything that she did for us.' Advertisement Her alleged killer was nabbed after cops used surveillance footage and license plate reader data to track him down. Worku was charged with first-degree murder. He was booked into the Larimer County Jail and was being held on a $1.25 million cash-only bond.
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Yahoo
Affidavit: Man says deadly shooting of woman in Berthoud home was an accident
DENVER (KDVR) — A man admitted to investigators that he fired the shot that killed a mother who was in her home in Berthoud on April 28, and said he accidentally discharged the gun, according to an affidavit. FOX31 obtained the affidavit for the warrantless arrest of 20-year-old Ebenezer Worku, revealing new details about what led to the shooting that killed 49-year-old Jennifer James. Previous coverage: Denver man arrested in connection with shooting death of woman in Berthoud: Sheriff's office James was in her home on 1st Street just north of Mountain Avenue in Berthoud on Monday, April 28, around 11:20 p.m., when a bullet came through a window and struck her in the upper arm and traveled through her chest. According to the affidavit, the 911 caller reported that she said she was shot before she collapsed and stopped breathing. First responders rendered aid but she was pronounced dead on the scene. The Larimer County Sheriff's Office said at the time that her death was being investigated as 'suspicious.' Investigators reviewed security camera footage captured nearby and found that a Nissan Rogue stopped in front of the residence at 11:18 p.m. and was there for several moments before its headlights went dark and it drove away. A vehicle matching the description was seen just after 11 p.m. in footage from a Conoco gas station a few blocks north. According to the affidavit, the Nissan driver got out and appeared to interact with the license plates. At the gas station, the occupant of the Nissan was also seen meeting with the driver of a blue 2002 Dodge Ram. According to the affidavit, the truck left and returned shortly after, again meeting with the occupant of the Nissan, which then left the gas station and drove south on 1st Street around 11:18 p.m. Data from automated license plate readers showed that the Nissan and the Dodge were only located near Larimer County once in the past 30 days. FOX31 Newsletters: Sign up to get breaking news sent to your inbox On April 30, the Nissan was involved in a crash on Interstate 25 near Greenwood Village. A Greenwood Village Police Department commander contacted the driver, identified as Ebenezer Worku, and body-worn camera footage showed that he had a handgun holster underneath his jacket. Investigators pinged his cell phone to the parking lot of Cabela's in Thornton, where Worku and the Nissan were found, along with the Dodge and its driver. The affidavit said the driver of the Dodge entered the store, returned with two boxes of live cartridges and handed them to Worku. Worku and the driver of the Dodge were taken into custody for questioning and the vehicles were seized for processing. A Glock 22, .40 caliber handgun with an extended magazine was found between the driver's seat and center console of the Nissan. Worku waived his Miranda rights and was taken to the sheriff's office to be interviewed. Worku talked about his mental health history, according to the affidavit, and said he suffers from 'homicidal schizophrenia,' and hears voices that tell him to harm others. He said he was off prescriptions for two years. He admitted to possessing a Glock 22 handgun and said it was a birthday gift from his 'adopted uncle,' identified as the driver of the Dodge. He said the gun was for target shooting and was only used at the range, and otherwise kept in a storage unit. He initially denied being in Larimer County and the affidavit said he was confused why he was connected to an investigation. He later admitted to possibly meeting the driver of the Dodge at a Murphy Express gas station to get another magazine between 6 p.m. and 11 p.m., before going to an airsoft facility in Erie. He said he was driving his father's Honda CR-V that day because his Nissan had recently been repainted. Investigators told him that surveillance footage showed him in Berthoud on the night of the homicide and he denied knowing anything about a shooting. The affidavit said he appeared to be in emotional distress when they told him someone had died. Investigators pressed, and Worku said he discharged his firearm but did not know anyone was near. Worku said he met the driver of the Dodge at Conoco to pick up a marijuana vape cartridge, and said he taped his license plates to avoid toll fees on the drive back to his house. Worku said he left the gas station and was driving south on 1st Street while he tried to clean his gun and 'accidentally' fired it out of the driver's window toward a house, according to the affidavit. He said he was unfamiliar with the gun and had his finger on the trigger when he pulled back the slide, making the gun discharge. He said he stopped in the middle of the road before the shot was fired. Then, he said he fired again when he tried to clear the chamber, not realizing a live round was present. He told investigators he was not aiming and thought the bullets would hit a wall or stop short. He said he saw that the curtains of the home were mostly closed, so he did not think he hit anyone, got frightened and drove away, turning his headlights off to avoid drawing attention. He said he thought the casings flew out of the car as he was holding the gun outside of the vehicle, however, the sheriff's office said no casings were found at the scene. The affidavit said he was willing to take responsibility and asked that the victim's family be told about his deep regret. According to the affidavit, he said, 'I did it, and I'm getting punished for it,' and repeatedly said 'put me in jail,' even requesting the death sentence. After his confession, he was placed under arrest for first-degree murder. he was booked into the Larimer County Jail for one charge of first-degree murder – extreme indifference, and was issued a $1.25 million cash-only bond. The small community of Berthoud is mourning James' loss. She had beaten cancer four times, only to be shot in her own home by bullets fired from a stranger's car. 'It just makes me mad that such a senseless act of violence occurred and you never think that's going to happen to you,' James' oldest daughter, Ashley James, told FOX31's Vicente Arenas. By all accounts, James was well-loved by so many in Berthoud. She was passionate about helping kids battling cancer, too. She loved helping find animals a home and was a huge Nuggets fan. 'She was the most selfless mom that anyone could ask for. She kind of devoted her whole life to us kids, so I'll be forever grateful for everything that she did for us,' James said. Two of James' children were home at the time of the shooting. James' funeral is set to take place later this month. A fundraiser through GoFundMe has been set up to help the family cover expenses. Those who wish to contribute can donate online. FOX31's Vicente Arenas contributed to this report. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
