Northglenn High student killed in Thornton hit-and-run remembered as kind, generous

The 23-year-old man arrested Sunday on suspicion of hitting and killing a 14-year-old boy in Thornton and then fleeing the scene was identified Monday as Jeremy Nobles, according to Thornton Police Department officials and family members identified the victim as a Northglenn High School student.

Nobles could face charges of careless driving causing serious bodily injury or death and failure to remain at the scene of a crash involving death, Thornton police announced in a post on X.

The victim’s uncle, in an interview with The Denver Post on Monday, identified the teenager as Jayden Marrujo of Westminster.

“He was a kind, generous kid willing to lend a hand to people and all his friends,” Elliot Benally, 35, said of Marrujo, who he helped raise as a son since he was 3 or 4 years old. “He loved to play football.”

Benally posted about his nephew in a GoFundMe appeal, writing that “Jayden’s kindness, generosity and joyful spirit touched the lives of so many, and his absence leaves a profound void in our hearts.”

The crash occurred just before 9:45 p.m. near Huron Street and West Thornton Parkway on Saturday, according to police. The victim was riding a small motorized bike north on Huron Street when he was hit from behind near the intersection. The suspect vehicle, a 2013 BMW 328i, fled the scene without stopping, police said.

Paramedics took the teenager to the hospital, where he later died from his injuries.

Benally said he was getting ready for bed around 11 p.m. Saturday when police showed up at his house.

“I thought he was in trouble because there were five cops and a detective at my door,” he said. “I couldn’t believe it.”

His nephew, he said, was on his motorized bike going to visit a friend when he was struck. Benally then broke down, remembering the Northglenn High School freshman who lived with him and Benally’s mother in Westminster.

“I would always see him playing football with a smile on his face,” he said.