A Colorado couple was targeted by a white CEO simply for making a mistake. As reported by Newsweek, 26-year-old Chris Ochoa was heading to a wedding rehearsal when his GPS sent them to an address in Elk Ridge Estates, a wealthy neighborhood outside of Denver.
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When Ochoa realized there was no one else parked nearby, he backed out of the driveway and pulled over to get better directions. What he didn’t realize is that he’d triggered a silent alarm that notified Resoure Energy CEO Paul Favret when cars were in his driveway.
Favret chased the couple down in his truck, cut them off, and pulled a gun on them once he caught up to them. According to Ochoa, he threatened to “blow their heads off.” Ochoa’s girlfriend had already called 911 and had taken photos of Favret pointing his gun at the couple.
Favret told police that due to taking painkillers for a recent shoulder surgery he didn’t remember brandishing the weapon.
Ochoa, who is Hispanic, initially declined to press charges as his friend’s aunt threatened to prohibit the wedding taking place at her home if Ochoa continued to “disrupt the community.” Favret’s actions constitute felony menacing, according to Colorado law.
After thinking it through, Ochoa declined to attend the wedding and in a Facebook post said he was now going to press charges.
“I want people to see this man’s face because he got away with putting my and my girlfriend’s life in danger, and members of this community supported him in doing so,” he said in his post.
Favret issued a statement saying that he “deeply regretted his actions that day ” but say says they were not racially motivated.
“I had no way of knowing the identities of the individuals in the vehicle,” Favret said in a statement to NBC station KUSA. I just saw the unknown vehicle very close to the home at a time when we were not expecting any visitors and our property is clearly marked with our address and is about 1/2 mile from their destination.
However, Ochoa says he has since learned that two other cars were misled by GPS to Favret’s driveway but neither was menaced with a weapon.
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Favret will have to turn himself in on felony menacing and firearms charges or a warrant for his arrest will be issued.
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