DENVER — A man pleaded guilty Tuesday to second-degree murder in the killing of a 14-year-old boy outside Denver’s Southwest Recreation Center in 2022.

Diego Lopez was accused of severely beating, shooting and killing 14-year-old Josiaz “Jojo” Aragon on Aug. 8, 2022.

Prosecutors said Lopez, who was 16 years old at the time of the fatal shooting, had bought a gun from the 14-year-old boy when he shot him in the back after the transaction was complete.

Lopez was accused of pistol-whipping, stabbing and possibly stomping on Aragon’s head after getting the gun, according to an arrest affidavit in the case, which further states that Lopez then gathered the weapons, took Aragon’s cell phone and money, and fled on foot toward his home, dropping a $20 with a fraction of a fingerprint on it along the way.

Lopez was arrested on the evening of Sept. 30, 2022, and was formally charged with murder on Oct. 6, 2022.

He now faces up to 48 years in prison, according to the Denver District Attorney’s Office.

“With this plea, Diego Lopez is finally accepting responsibility for his horrific and senseless actions. We will seek a heavy prison term when he’s sentenced,” said Denver District Attorney John Walsh. “The successful resolution of the case was the result of the outstanding work of the prosecutors, investigators, paralegals and victim advocates in the Denver DA’s Office, as well as the homicide detectives with the Denver Police Department.”

His sentencing is July 18.

After beating the LA Clippers in an overtime thriller for Game 1 of their highly anticipated first-round playoff series, the Denver Nuggets are looking to repeat their success and take a 2-0 series lead.

The Nuggets started the game blazing, taking as much as an eight-point lead in the first quarter, but the Clippers have fought back with force. After three quarters, the Clippers took a 78-76 lead, but the third period was filled with drama.

About six minutes into the second half, Nuggets guard Jamal Murray had an aggressive close-out on Norman Powell, ultimately grabbing him and even lifting him off the ground. To say the least, Norman Powell did not like it.

Powell and Murray immediately got into a scuffle, with nearly every other player on the court quickly collapsing into the skirmish. Powell took a shot at Murray and even shoved Nuggets guard Christian Braun, but this type of minor altercation is exactly what fans were expecting from such a high-level series.

Many fans took to social media to react to the Jamal Murray, Norman Powell exchange.

“This is a spicy series. Please give me 7 games of this. Best series in the 1st round,” one fan commented.

“how murray walk away without a tech and end up shooting the technical free throw 😭,” another fan replied.

“Now this is playoff basketball,” a fan said.

“no tech for murray is laughable. refs vs clippers,” another fan commented.

It would be a fan’s dream if this series goes to a Game 7, as Games 1 and 2 have already been some of the best basketball of the season, and it continues to get more exciting.

After his passing on Monday, Coloradans are remembering Pope Francis, including one woman who met him on his honeymoon.

As the first pope from outside Europe, Pope Francis’ ascension held special meaning for his followers in the Americas — including in Colorado and at the parish of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Rocio Delgado Marquez, a parishioner from Denver’s Guadalupe Church, has a special devotion to Pope Francis.

“I specifically recall the day he became the pope,” Delgado Marquez said.

She was in college at Metropolitan State University Denver in 2013.

That same year, she made a pilgrimage to see Pope Francis at World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro.

“To be close to him, to be near him, to see the impact he had on the youth and everyone screaming, ‘This is the juventud del papa — we are the youth of the pope,’” she said.

And for all the excitement of being surrounded by 3 million people, Delgado Marquez remembers the silence when Pope Francis led the youth in prayer.

“You could hear the waves of Copacabana’s beach in this silence, full of respect and love, and that’s an experience that really sticks with me,” she said.

In 2019, Delgado Marquez got married and visited the Vatican on her honeymoon, where she received a blessing from the Holy Father.

“That was a very special moment,” she said.

On that same trip, she attended a Mass with Pope Francis for the World Day of the Poor — a tradition he started.

She especially admires his humility and support for the world’s marginalized people.

“It warms my heart to hear him speak Spanish and speak directly to us,” Delgado Marquez said. “His parents were immigrants. My parents were immigrants. He knows the struggle. And this community is full of immigrants.”

Delgado Marquez serves on the parish council at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church. She says Pope Francis’ teachings have enriched her life, which she hopes to devote to the service of others.

“It all comes back to dignifying the human being and making them feel human,” she said.