CrimeJan 03, 2024
Suspect in Queens Jewelry Store Robbery ArrestedCrimeJan 12, 2024
DNA Potentially Links Suspect to Murder of Colorado Jeweler
The DNA was recovered from flex cuffs found at the scene of the Nov. 29 murder of Peter Damian Arguello.
Police in Colorado recently arrested a man for burglarizing a jewelry store in the town of Wheat Ridge and an affidavit filed in support of his arrest shows he may also be connected to the store owner’s homicide.
Wheat Ridge, Colorado—A man arrested and charged with burglarizing a Wheat Ridge, Colorado, jewelry store in December also could be connected to the late November murder of the store’s owner, court papers reveal.
Charles Robinson Shay, 41, of Aurora, Colorado, was arrested Dec. 27 and faces charges of felony motor vehicle theft in the second degree, criminal possession of an identification document, and second-degree burglary, according to the Jefferson County (Colorado) District Attorney’s Office.
According to an affidavit filed the day after Shay’s arrest, he admitted to police that he pried open the door and entered Peter Damian Fine Jewelry & Antiques on Dec. 26, but did not take anything because “nothing was there.”
The store’s owner, Peter Damian Arguello, was found shot to death inside his shop on the morning of Nov. 29 in what police then described as a possible robbery homicide.
Shay told police he had heard about the robbery homicide and looked at breaking into the store as a “crime of opportunity” because he knew the business was boarded up and not occupied.
However, evidence recovered from the scene of Arguello’s murder may tell a different story.
According to the affidavit, during the investigation of the murder police found three flex cuffs looped together with a latex glove intertwined on the floor in front of one of the store’s safes. Silver coins had been removed from the safe.
Surveillance video of the robbery homicide shows a male suspect pull a gun on Arguello and try to handcuff the jeweler with the flex cuff. According to the affidavit, Arguello resisted and the man shot him three times.
Police were able to obtain a DNA sample from swabs of the cuffs and on Dec. 8, the Jefferson County Regional Crime Lab found a match via the Combined DNA Index System, better known as CODIS.
Related stories will be right here …
Charles Robinson Shay, 41, of Aurora, Colorado, was arrested Dec. 27 and faces charges of felony motor vehicle theft in the second degree, criminal possession of an identification document, and second-degree burglary, according to the Jefferson County (Colorado) District Attorney’s Office.
According to an affidavit filed the day after Shay’s arrest, he admitted to police that he pried open the door and entered Peter Damian Fine Jewelry & Antiques on Dec. 26, but did not take anything because “nothing was there.”
The store’s owner, Peter Damian Arguello, was found shot to death inside his shop on the morning of Nov. 29 in what police then described as a possible robbery homicide.
Shay told police he had heard about the robbery homicide and looked at breaking into the store as a “crime of opportunity” because he knew the business was boarded up and not occupied.
However, evidence recovered from the scene of Arguello’s murder may tell a different story.
According to the affidavit, during the investigation of the murder police found three flex cuffs looped together with a latex glove intertwined on the floor in front of one of the store’s safes. Silver coins had been removed from the safe.
Surveillance video of the robbery homicide shows a male suspect pull a gun on Arguello and try to handcuff the jeweler with the flex cuff. According to the affidavit, Arguello resisted and the man shot him three times.
Police were able to obtain a DNA sample from swabs of the cuffs and on Dec. 8, the Jefferson County Regional Crime Lab found a match via the Combined DNA Index System, better known as CODIS.
According to the affidavit, the DNA came back as a match for Shay, a self-described “habitual criminal” who’s had prior convictions for possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute (2005), motor vehicle theft and vehicular eluding (2006), identity theft (habitual offender), and theft by receiving (2012).
He is currently wanted in California on a felony warrant for motor vehicle theft.
When police told Shay that his DNA had been found on the flex cuffs recovered from the murder scene, he stopped talking, the affidavit states.
On the day Arguello was murdered, witnesses said they saw two people leaving through the back door of the jewelry store and driving away in a red Chevy Silverado pickup truck, which authorities later determined had been stolen.
Police recovered the truck on Dec. 1 in Centennial, Colorado. It had been set on fire and “heavily damaged,” according to the affidavit, though police were able to recover two hats from the bed of the truck that were only partially burned.
The hats matched those worn by the two individuals seen fleeing the jewelry store after Arguello’s murder.
Wheat Ridge police said they are not releasing any more information about the investigation at this time.
Editors' Picks
Sponsored by
More on Crime
The Latest
Weekly QuizOct 03, 2024
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
PodcastsJan 12, 2026
Introducing My Next Question, the PodcastA monthly podcast series for jewelry professionals
Brought to you by
Navigating Cybersecurity: Essential Guidance for JewelersFrom protecting customer data to safeguarding inventory records, it's crucial to learn how to tackle cybersecurity challenges.
PodcastsNov 27, 2025
Test Podcast With VideoTest Podcast With Video. New interview with Ada Lovelace.
PodcastsNov 25, 2025
Test New Podcast PostAbstract for tests. New Podcast interview with John Lennon, Jimi Hendrix and Jim Morison.
ColumnistsOct 09, 2024
Peter Smith: 7 Things to Know When Selling LuxuryAhead of the holiday season, Smith delves into the often subconscious reasons people buy luxury products for themselves or their loved ones.
AuctionsOct 09, 2024
Rolex Worn on Apollo 14 Mission Up for SaleThe GMT-Master “Pepsi” belonging to astronaut Edgar Mitchell is a standout in RR Auction’s online “Space Auction,” going on now.
MajorsOct 09, 2024
New Simon Campaign Invites Gen Z to ‘Meet Me At The Mall’The ads celebrate the mall culture of the ‘80s and ‘90s.
MajorsOct 09, 2024
PGI Launches New Virtual Sales TrainingRetail sales associates can access the video series on mobile to refresh their selling skills.
Policies & IssuesOct 09, 2024
GJNRF: Reaching Out, Rebuilding Futures For 25 years, India’s Gem & Jewellery National Relief Foundation has provided aid in the wake of war, natural disasters, and global crises.
AuctionsOct 08, 2024
Sotheby’s Selling Jewelry That Belonged to a Bulgarian TsarThe November auction will feature a collection of jewels owned by Ferdinand I, the first king of modern Bulgaria, and his family.
SourcingOct 08, 2024
Rio Tinto Begins New Phase of Production That Will Extend Diavik’s LifeCommercial production has begun underground at the Canadian diamond mine’s A21 pipe.
SurveysOct 08, 2024
What to Know About Online Shopping This Holiday SeasonDeloitte and Adobe Analytics shared their insights on the season, from the retail sales forecast to the role of generative AI.
CollectionsOct 08, 2024
Sylvie Adds New Men’s BandsThe Texas-based jeweler collaborated with luxury clothing brand Uncommon Man on men’s bands designed with European influences.
SourcingOct 08, 2024
Is Current Diamond Industry Turbulence Shaping a ‘New Normal’? Industry players have found ways to cope with market conditions while working to reshape themselves in the face of emerging realities.
SourcingOct 07, 2024
Rio Tinto to Offer 76 Diamonds in 2024 Beyond Rare Tender The sales event, in its second year, features a selection of rare diamonds from the miner’s Argyle and Diavik diamond mines.
CollectionsOct 07, 2024
Olympian Kristi Yamaguchi Partners With Heller Jewelers on New CollectionA portion of the proceeds from the “Always Dream” collection will go to Yamaguchi's foundation, supporting early childhood literacy.
