Police believe the unidentified driver may have been injured after gunfire struck a car carrying 19-year-old Maikel Garresquero Mavo.
DENVER, Colo. — Denver police have arrested three teenagers in the shooting death of 19-year-old Maikel Garresquero Mavo, but detectives are still searching for the person who was driving Mavo when gunfire erupted on West Custer Place.
The unidentified driver has emerged as one of the central unanswered questions in the Aug. 6 homicide investigation. Police said the driver fled on foot after the vehicle carrying Mavo traveled a short distance and crashed into a parked vehicle. Investigators believe the driver may also have been injured.
Police were called to the 4100 block of West Custer Place at about 11:02 p.m. after a report of shots fired. Officers found Mavo in the passenger seat of the crashed vehicle, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The Denver Office of the Medical Examiner later identified Mavo and determined that he died from gunshot wounds. His death was classified as a homicide.
According to investigators, Mavo and the driver had just arrived in the area when three suspects quickly approached their vehicle. Shots were then fired, striking Mavo. Police said the vehicle moved a short distance before hitting another parked vehicle, after which the driver got out and ran from the scene.
Detectives have since arrested Davidson Semeco-Acurero, 18, along with a 17-year-old boy and a 13-year-old girl. Police allege Semeco-Acurero shot Mavo and say the two younger suspects were also involved. All three face first-degree murder allegations, according to police. The allegations have not been proven in court.
Investigators believe Mavo may have been lured to the location before the shooting. Police have said a previous dispute involving Mavo and one or more of the suspects may be connected to the case, but they have not announced a confirmed motive or publicly explained the nature of any earlier dispute.
The missing driver could help investigators clarify that sequence of events. Police have not publicly identified the person, described the extent of any possible injuries or said whether detectives know how that person was connected to Mavo. Authorities also have not said whether the driver is considered solely a witness or has another status in the investigation.
The arrests answer one of the largest questions that followed the shooting by identifying the people police believe were involved. They do not, however, resolve what brought Mavo to the block that night, why investigators believe he was lured there or precisely what happened in the moments before the suspects approached the vehicle.
Police said the investigation remains active as detectives work to determine the circumstances surrounding the homicide and identify the driver who left the scene. No further publicly confirmed arrests or court developments had been announced as of Sunday.
Author note: Last updated August 16, 2026.