28-05-2025
‘It's demoralizing': Victim details ‘suspicious' parking lot assault
WESTMINSTER, Colo. (KDVR) — Westminster police are asking for help solving what they are calling a 'suspicious' parking lot assault in a popular shopping area.
It happened around 11:30 p.m. near the parking lot of the Bowlero Bowling Alley in the Westminster Promenade.
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'You don't have to hang out very long behind the Bowlero to have someone pass 20 mph,' said Michael Marquez. 'I've been aware of the traffic, but I've never had any incidents prior.'
That was until May 19, when Marquez was walking through the Bowlero parking lot to a nearby bus stop to meet his girlfriend for a night out. He happened to come across a man in a parked van with a trailer hitch.
'He said, 'get out of here or I'm going to shoot you,'' Marquez said. 'So, I was like, 'hey man, I don't want any problems, I'm just walking to the bus stop.' I didn't think anything of it.'
The next thing Marquez remembers is waking up in the emergency room with no recollection of how he ended up there.
'Honestly, I don't remember a lot, and that's what's kind of hindering us from finding more information,' he said.
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Marquez later learned his girlfriend called the police to his apartment after finding him there covered in blood without any knowledge of what happened.
'She says I was standing right here completely dazed,' he said.
He sustained multiple injuries.
'I had six staples in my head. I have scrapes and bruises on my entire body. I have four fractured ribs and a fractured scapula, which is a shoulder blade,' said Marquez. 'I also had a collapsed lung when I arrived to the ER.'
Marquez, who works as a bartender, says the hardest part about it all is not being able to work.
'Sitting in this chair all day is driving me crazy,' he said. 'I'm finally starting to feel like I can move around in my own space. For days, it was I needed help to grab a glass of water or food. It's really demoralizing.'
The 34-year-old hopes by sharing his story, someone will have information to solve this case.
'There's no cameras in the parking lot, from what WPD told me. At this point, we're kind of relying on someone who saw something to call in and say something,' said Marquez. 'It's not a road that's the main thing. Treat it like a parking lot and know people are going to be walking through it. Any parking lot, you should expect this.'
He has this advice to share.
'Just be careful out there, even if you think you're safe, look both ways. I wouldn't be walking if I knew this was going to happen. I really thought I was in an area where I thought I would have been safe. So be vigilant,' said Marquez.
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Police urge anyone in the area around the time of the crime to check their surveillance cameras and give our partners with Metro Denver Crime Stoppers a call with any information.
Authorities are investigating the case as an assault. The vehicle Marquez described is a Dodge Grand Caravan with a trailer hitch. Officers said it is unknown whether that vehicle was directly involved in the crime.
Maquez's family has also set up a GoFundMe page to help him with expenses while he's out of work.
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