JCSO Arrests Suspect in Road Rage Shooting

Jefferson County, CO — The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a Golden man in connection with a road rage shooting that injured a man in his 70s on September 29, 2026. Rafael Jose Mateo Ruiz (dob 1/25/99) was arrested without incident in Thornton in the early morning hours of October 8. He was booked into the JCSO Detention Facility on charges of criminal attempt first-degree murder, extreme indifference (x2), first-degree assault, extreme indifference, and criminal attempt first-degree assault, extreme indifference. Investigators used footage from a Lakewood traffic camera, automated license plate reader (ALPR) cameras, and cell tower location data to identify and locate Ruiz.

The shooting occurred shortly after 9 p.m. as the victim and his wife were returning to their Arvada home from a friend’s house in Golden. The victim told investigators they became involved in a traffic altercation with the driver of a red car while traveling from Colfax Avenue onto the eastbound I-70 on-ramp. According to the victim, the suspect pulled behind their vehicle and fired multiple rounds.  

Five bullets struck the victim’s vehicle, including one that passed through the driver’s seat and struck him in the back. He drove himself to Lutheran Hospital, where staff notified the JCSO. His injuries were not life-threatening, and his wife was uninjured.  

Ruiz’s first court appearance is scheduled for Friday, October 9, 2026. His mugshot was not available at the time the media release was sent.