Man who wore clown makeup, glove with blades found guilty in fatal stabbing

DENVER -- (KVR) -- A man accused of fatally stabbing another man in the parking lot of a taco restaurant while wearing white clown-type makeup and a glove with blades was found guilty of murder on Monday, the Denver District Attorney's Office said.

Christian Gulzow, 37, was found guilty of second-degree murder after a four-day trial. He had been charged with first-degree murder.

Gulzow fatally stabbed Brian Lucero, 29, in an alley outside Torchy's Tacos at West 11th Avenue and Broadway in the early-morning hours of May 23, 2017, prosecutors said.

Witnesses told the Denver Police Department the men had gotten into an argument at a nearby gas station.

Gulzow was wearing white clown makeup with black streaks and a glove with 2- to 3-inch blades on each finger, witnesses told police.

Lucero was found in the parking lot with stab wounds to his neck. He was later pronounced dead.

Gulzow was seen riding down a nearby street on a scooter, according to a probable cause statement.

A security camera caught Gulzow throwing a bloody knife into some bushes in the 900 block of Galapago Street.

He was arrested later the same morning near West Alameda Avenue and Lipan Street, his clothing covered in blood.

While being interviewed by police, Gulzow said Lucero threatened him to “get out of my alley,” leading to a fight in which he might have accidentally stabbed him.

Gulzow said Lucero was the one who attacked him and took his scooter, police said. Gulzow said he tackled Lucero to get his scooter back.