Ray Ruiz, maintenance man, helps catch murder suspects Eric Holloway & Tiffane Ward (23)

Ray Ruiz.

But they might have gotten away were it not for Ray Ruiz, a maintenance worker who risked his own life to make sure the pair wound up in the hands of police.

According to the Aurora Police Department, officers responded to a report of a shooting shortly before noon at an apartment complex on the 11900 block of East Harvard Avenue. There, they found a victim in the fourteen-to-sixteen-years age range bleeding profusely from multiple gunshot wounds. He was rushed to a nearby hospital, but his wounds were too severe, and he was soon declared dead.

And the suspects? According to 9News, Ruiz spotted them trying to leave the apartment complex in a car. But instead of allowing them to do so, he rushed to his truck and tried to block them into the parking lot -- and when that didn't work, he stayed behind the vehicle until the cops arrived. He also pointed them out to officers, who quickly took them into custody.

An APD spokeswoman leavened her praise of Ruiz by noting that by taking the actions he did, he could have wound up as a victim, too. But neighbors dubbed him a hero.

Holloway, 23, and Ward, his 22-year-old girlfriend, are likely thinking less positive things about him. After all, Holloway's being held on investigation of first-degree murder and she's looking at an accessory beef. At this writing, the victim has not been identified, although police say he didn't live in the area.

Look below to see the 9News report.

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