Road rage shooting in Heatherwood

Heatherwood resident David Joseph Waters, age 39, was arrested and charged with attempted second-degree murder after Boulder County Sheriff’s officers responded to a report of a road rage shooting at around 6:50 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 24 near the south entrance to the Heatherwood subdivision off 75th Street in Gunbarrel.

Dispatchers received a report from a caller that another driver shot at him with a handgun as the caller was passing him. A news release from the sheriff’s department indicated that deputies responding found a bullet hole in the passenger side of the caller’s truck, and the bullet was retrieved from inside the passenger door. The victim of the shooting was not identified in the press release, but court records in the case show that on Nov. 26, the Boulder County District Court issued a Mandatory Protection Order prohibiting Waters from having any contact with Freddy Castruita, age 34.

Officers were able to locate a vehicle matching the description of the suspect’s vehicle parked at a house in the 4600 block of Ipswich Street, just a few blocks from Heatherwood Elementary School. Officers contacted Waters, one of the residents of the house, who admitted being in the area of the shooting, but denied any involvement.

Additional investigation by detectives gave them probable cause to obtain a search warrant for the vehicle and the house. A search of the home led to discovery of “a large cache of firearms, ammunition and tactical gear inside the house,” according to the news release. When “suspected bomb-making materials” were also discovered, detectives called in the Boulder County Regional Bomb Squad to assist in the investigation.

Waters was arrested on suspicion of attempted second-degree murder, possession of an explosive or incendiary device, criminal mischief, and 36 counts of possession of a prohibited large-capacity magazine.

A home at 4646 Ipswich Street in Heatherwood has been owned by Timothy David Waters and Karen Waters since 1992, according to county records. David Joseph Waters’ address in court records is listed as 4646 Ipswich Street, Boulder.

Bond was set at $50,000 by Judge Jonathon P. Martin on Nov. 26, and Waters was ordered to “relinquish all weapons/firearms/explosive devices within 24 hours.”