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Uber driver killed during four-state crime spree

Posted at 2:26 PM, Feb 27, 2019
and last updated 2019-02-27 14:26:38-05

DENVER -- A man who was fatally shot in a carjacking in Denver Friday morning as part of a four-state crime spree has been identified as a 58-year-old Uber driver.

David Rosenthal, 58, of Denver died from multiple gunshot wounds, the Denver Office of the Medical Examiner said. The manner of death was homicide,.

On Tuesday, Uber confirmed that Rosenthal drove for the company and that he was using the app at the time of the shooting, according to KDVR.

"We are shocked and heartbroken by this horrific crime, and our thoughts are with David's family," an Uber spokesman said. "We cooperated with police on the investigation and hope the individuals responsible are brought to justice."

The carjacking by two happened at West Colfax Avenue and Perry Street, near Sloans Lake, about 1:50 a.m. Friday.

The black 2015 Cadillac was used two hours later in an armed robbery at a convenience story in Cheyenne, Wyoming.

Six hours after the Wyoming robbery, the same men robbed a Wells Fargo bank in Park City, Utah, officials said.

Matthew Fanelli, 30, of New mexico, was arrested Saturday in Oregon and is being held for investigation of first-degree murder in Rosenthal's shooting, the Denver Police Department said.

Fanelli's suspected accomplice, 31-year-old Jose Lopez-Jovel, was also arrested when officials said they tried to carjack a vehicle at a Red Robin restaurant in Roseburg, Oregon.

Fanelli allegedly drove off without Lopez-Jovel, who was immediately arrested, Oregon State Police said.

Fanelli is then to have allegedly fired gunshots at authorities during a chase. One shot hit a commercial vehicle and another hit an Oregon State Police vehicle.

He also allegedly shot at another vehicle with the bullet hitting an occupied child seat, Oregon State Police said.

After police lost sight of Fanelli, he allegedly tried to carjack another vehicle in a residential neighborhood, shooting a man and assaulting a woman during a robbery. The man was critically injured, Oregon State Police said.

The El Paso County Sheriff's Office said Sunday that on Friday morning, Fanelli allegedly shot at people outside a strip club in Colorado Springs.

The sheriff's office said Fanelli became upset when he was asked to leave Deja vu Showgirls. The sheriff's office said Fanelli began shooting at the manager and two bouncers when he left. No one was injured.

Fanelli allegedly assaulted a female employee, who ran out of the building naked, the sheriff's office said.