Iowa Truck Driver Arrested for Colorado Murder
John Thoren of Ankeny, Iowa was sleeping in his semi-truck in the wee hours of the morning on Friday, October 28, when he was woken up by loud banging noises on the side of his truck.
To Thoren's surprise, a woman whom he claims he didn't know, was hurling rocks at the side of his semi, striking the front, driver-side window.
WHO13 reports that court documents stated the following happened next:
Thoren mouthed out the window to the female to 'stop' because he did not think the female would hear him over the running engine of his truck. Thoren grabbed a handgun and showed it to the female through the driver’s window. Thoren did this in an effort to get the female to stop throwing rocks at his truck. The female turned away from Thoren and grabbed another rock.
After the 42-year-old showed the woman his gun, she became angry and continued to throw rocks at his semi. Thoren proceeded to roll his window down and say,
If you don’t stop you are about to get shot.
He claims the woman then charged him, and he fired a shot at her for self-defense, as he felt threatened.
The Ankeny man told investigators that he wasn't sure if the woman had a sharp object or a weapon of her own in her possession, so “he squeezed a round off and got her."
After he shot her, Thoren called 911. Officers told Aurora news station KDVR that he cooperated with police at the scene of the shooting. Following law enforcement's arrival, he was taken to police headquarters in Aurora and interviewed. After the interview, police arrested the Iowa native "on suspicion of second-degree murder."
The woman was identified as 46-year-old Rachel Holmes.
Thoren maintains that he did not know her and had no previous relationship with her prior to the events that took place on Friday night.
WHO13 adds that "Thoren said he made deliveries in the area and he had an agreement in place to park his truck in the parking lot. He told police he felt like it was a safe place to sleep."