Luiz Meza busted in Patricio Archuleta murder at MGM's Restaurant & Lounge (22)

Early -- very early -- into the Labor Day holiday weekend, gunfire erupted near MGM's Restaurant & Lounge. The result: Patricio Archuleta died of his wounds, and Luis Meza has been arrested on suspicion of pulling the trigger. But Meza didn't go into custody quietly...

By Michael Roberts

September 6, 2011

[
        {
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Inline Content - Mobile Display Size",
          "component": "12017618",
          "insertPoint": "2",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
        },{
          "name": "Editor Picks",
          "component": "17242653",
          "insertPoint": "4",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18838239",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17261320",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18838239",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - Leaderboard Tower - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17261321",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        }
      ]

Early -- very early -- into the Labor Day holiday weekend, gunfire erupted near MGM's Restaurant & Lounge.

The result: Patricio Archuleta died of his wounds, and Luis Meza has been arrested on suspicion of pulling the trigger. But Meza didn't go into custody quietly.

According to the Denver Police Department, officers responded to a call at MGM's around 1:45 a.m. on Saturday. In the parking lot of the establishment, they found Archuleta, 34, suffering from gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital a short time later.

Meanwhile, a report about a vehicle driving by a suspect in the shooting soon scored a hit -- but an attempted traffic stop soon led to a chase that finally ended in the area around Interstate 70 and Washington Street. There, a man later identified as Meza, 33, was taken into custody for investigation of first-degree murder.

Thus far, no mug shot of Meza has been released. Look below to see an interactive graphic of the area near the scene of the crime. If you have problems seeing the image, click "View Larger Map."

View Larger Map

Become A Member

BEFORE YOU GO...
Can you help us continue to share our stories? Since the beginning, Westword has been defined as the free, independent voice of Denver — and we'd like to keep it that way. Our members allow us to continue offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food, and culture with no paywalls.

Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

Contact: Michael Roberts

Follow:

Facebook: 111180895657427

Twitter: @mikerobertscolo