ARREST IN DENVER BANK ROBBERY

Dustin Ware, 45, was arrested as a suspect in a bank robbery in Denver, the FBI said Monday. The robbery occurred at a PNC Bank branch on West 32nd Avenue on June 2. The suspect presented a teller a note demanding cash.

STABBING NEAR DOWNTOWN DENVER

A person was stabbed in the vicinity of 22nd and Stout streets near downtown Denver and transported to hospital, police said. The incident occurred Saturday. No other information was released.

FIRE NEAR FEDERAL BOULEVARD IN DENVER

In Denver, firefighters battled a structure fire in the vicinity of West Custer Place and South Federal Boulevard. No one was hurt in Saturday's blaze.

[Photo: Denver Fire]

CIGARETTES BLAMED FOR FIRE IN AURORA

Cigarettes caused an apartment fire overnight in Aurora. "One victim was rescued from the burning apartment and was transported to the hospital for minor smoke inhalation," Aurora Fire said. No other residents were displaced by the blaze in the 300-block of North Potomac Circle. 

"The fire was accidental, caused by improperly discarded cigarettes," officials said.
[Photo: Aurora Fire]

AUTO AND SCOOTER COLLIDE IN DENVER

One person was seriously injured when an auto and scooter collided Sunday night in the 1400-block of North Osage Street in Denver, police said. No other details were released by police.

6 CEMENT TRUCKS ABLAZE IN AURORA

Fire damaged six cement trucks in Aurora early Monday.

The blaze broke out in a parking lot located east of 204401 East Sky Ranch Road. No injuries were reported.

"Flames and smoke were visible from I-70," Aurora Fire said. The cause of the fire was under investigation.

MISSING CHILD FOUND SAFE IN DENVER

Police rescued a missing 8-year-old child from Cherry Creek near East Mississippi Avenue in Denver. The child, described as non-verbal, was found May 31. Officer Byrd (pictured) waded into the water and carried the child to safety. [Photo: Denver Police]

COPS ARREST SUSPECT IN DENVER STABBING

Police arrested a suspect in a stabbing that occurred Saturday in the 13000-block of East Albrook Drive in Denver. The suspect was held for investigation of first-degree assault, police said. No other details were released.

TRAPPED IN DITCH FOR 'NEARLY 24 HOURS' IN WHEAT RIDGE

Firefighters rescued a man trapped for almost a day in mud and water at the bottom of a 15-foot construction ditch in Wheat Ridge.

A passerby heard him calling for help Saturday night. "It's believed he may have been there for nearly 24 hours, unable to get anyone’s attention," West Metro Fire said. He was transported to hospital. The incident occurred near North Crossing Drive and Clear Creek Drive. [Photo: West Metro Fire]

6 KITTENS RESCUED FROM HOUSE FIRE IN AURORA

UPDATE

Firefighters rescued six kittens from a house fire in the 1600-block of North Dayton Street in Aurora. A resident of the home escaped with minor injuries. The fire broke out in the home's kitchen Saturday night, Aurora Fire said. [Photos: Aurora Fire]

1951 DISASTER AT HILLTOP: GIANT BOMBER CRASHES IN FIREBALL

 

The quiet corner of Eudora and Bayaud streets in Denver's Hilltop residential district erupted in a blast of flames on Dec. 3, 1951.

A giant B-29 Superfortress bomber - struggling to return to Lowry Air Force Base - plowed into a row of homes, killing eight airmen. Six survived, including the pilot. On the ground, six people were hurt, four houses were destroyed and five others damaged, according to the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents. All the homes were newly built.

As the bomber, which was on a training mission, dipped low over downtown Denver, pedestrians noticed that the propeller on the right outboard engine stopped spinning, according to the Colorado Encyclopedia.

The B-29, piloted by Captain James W. Shanks, 33, sank as other engines conked out, sending it wobbling toward Colorado Boulevard and Cranmer Park.

Shanks radioed Lowry's control tower, which alerted the base's fire department. Crash crews rolled to the end of Lowry's runway, but it was too late for the B-29. 

Staff Sgt. William Zippel, 29, the flight engineer, told the Rocky Mountain News from his hospital bed: "About 15 minutes away from Lowry, 1 noticed the green stain ‘of a fuel line leak on the cowling of the No. 4 engine. l notified the pilot and feathered the prop."

"There was no warning before the crash. If I had known how close we were to the ground, I would have taken a chance and brought the No. 4 engine back in use. It might have given us ~ enough power to make the field," Zippel said.

The bomber "sliced through utility poles and newly planted trees" and the tail sheared the peak of the roof of a corner home at 70 South Dahlia Street, the block next to the Eudora crash site, according to the Colorado Encyclopedia.

It's fuel tanks half-full, the B-29 hit the ground, broke apart and erupted in flame. The bomb bay, fortunately, was empty. The row of homes was a few hundred yards short of Lowry's runway threshold, the BAA said.

The time was 11:30 a.m.

Neighbors, including Dominic Lepore, 60, who was driving to home at 230 Eudora Street, raced to the blazing scene.

“I could hear this man - screaming, ‘Help me! Help me, someone!’" Lepore told the News. "I reached up and grabbed this man by the head. I pulled and tugged at him until he finally came loose from the plane. Then I dragged him free of the wreckage and across the street."

Four linemen from the Mountain States Telephone & Telegraph Co. also joined the rescue, freeing a maid trapped and injured in the ruins of a home.

[Images: Bureau of Aircraft Accidents, Google Maps]

Originally published Aug. 11, 2025

RIFLE INFERNO: WILDLAND FLAMES FORCE EVACUATIONS, SPREAD TO APARTMENTS

Wind-whipped flames erupted in a backyard, roared into a wildland area - and leaped onto an apartment building in Rifle on Wednesday.

The neighborhood was evacuated. No injuries were reported. The building was heavily damaged. Firefighters rescued a trapped dog from the blazing structure.

"Initial reports indicated a backyard fire threatening a residence," Colorado River Fire Rescue said. "Due to strong winds and heavy fuel conditions, the fire quickly spread beyond the structure into the wildland area along Government Creek. The fire continued to advance along the creek corridor toward the Rifle Creek Apartments near West 30th Street. "Evacuations were ordered for residents along Willow Creek Circle and West 30th Street," officials said, and a temporary shelter was established at the Garfield County Fairgrounds. "The fire spread into the roof of an eight-unit apartment building at the Rifle Creek Apartments," officials said, and "the building sustained significant damage and is believed to be a total loss." The Red Cross responded as did Grand Valley Fire Protection District, the Glenwood Springs Fire Department, the Rifle Police Department, the Garfield County Sheriff’s Office, the Colorado Department of Transportation and Colorado Parks and Wildlife. [Photos: Colorado River Fire Rescue]

REMAIN CALM: MAJOR HAZMAT DRILL IN AURORA

Aurora Fire Rescue staged a major hazardous materials drill Thursday morning near North Peoria Street and East 30th Avenue. "Emergency vehicles will be visible in the area and associated training radio traffic sounds very realistic." officials announced on social media There is no emergency.

2 HURT WHEN AUTO AND E-BIKE COLLIDE IN DENVER

Two people were injured when an auto and an e-bike collided in the vicinity of 30th and Champa streets in Denver, police said. The victims transported to hospital. No other information was released. The accident occurred Wednesday.

SUSPECT IN WITCHES HOLLOW LANE SHOOTING HELD ON $650,000 BOND

Detectives arrested Kaream Hosea Supreme Garrison, 18, accused of blasting bullets into a home on Witches Hollow Lane in the Security-Widefield section of El Paso County, the sheriff's office said Thursday. "Deputies located bullet holes in the front door of the residence and shell casings in the driveway," officials said. A doorbell camera recorded images of the May 26 shooting. "Witnesses described a confrontation at the front door between the suspect and the home’s occupants," officials said. The suspect was tracked down and arrested this week and faces charges of Attempted Murder, Prohibited Use of a Weapon and Possession of a Weapon by a Previous Offender. Bail was set at $650,000. [Photo: El Paso County Sheriff]

BOMB SQUAD CALLED AFTER BOULDER ARSON

Police arrested a person accused of setting a structure fire in Boulder.

A bomb squad and hazmat team were called to examine a suspicious package inside the building. There were no explosives, police said.
Wednesday's blaze broke out in the 800-block of West Moorehead Avenue, the fire department said. No injuries were reported.

DRIVER SAVED FROM VAN TEETERING ON RIVERBANK

Firefighters rescued a man trapped in a van teetering on the edge of Cache la Poudre River in Larimer County. "Gravity wasn't on his side" after he backed up to turn around, the sheriff's office said. Responders "quickly secured the teetering van by winching it to a Poudre Canyon Fire truck, then helped the driver get out," officials said. Last week's accident occurred along Highway 14 near The Mishakawa.
[Photo: Larimer County Sheriff]

PLANE CRASH STARTS FIRE NEAR SOUTH FORK; 2 HURT

A small aircraft crashed in a field moments after departing a private airstrip in South Fork and ignited a grass and weed fire.

The pilot and a passenger climbed out of the wreckage near Shoshone Trail. They suffered minor injuries in Tuesday's mishap.

"After experiencing engine power issues, the occupants were attempting to land at Chapman Field," South Fork Fire said.

Chapman Field is located east of South Fork.

[Photo: South Fork Fire]

WOUNDED DEPUTY IN CRITICAL CONDITION

Sergeant Zach Burns, wounded by gunfire this week in Baggs, Wyoming, near the Colorado state line, remained in critical condition Wednesday at a trauma center in Colorado, the Carbon County Sheriff's Office said. His assailant died during a standoff. [Photo: Carbon County Sheriff]

MEDICS TREAT PETS RESCUED FROM FIRE

Medics administered oxygen to several pets rescued from a house fire Tuesday on East 24th Street in Greeley, the fire department said. No humans were injured.

COLD CASE: 1970 KING SOOPERS SLAYING IN DENVER

Decades ago, Daniel Crocker, a truck driver for the King Soopers grocery chain, was murdered after making a delivery at a store in Denver.

The Oct. 13, 1970, case has never been solved.

Crocker, 36, "was confronted near the store by unknown suspect(s) and robbed of his wallet" in the 1300-block of Krameria Street, according to Cold Case detectives.

He "was beaten and died as a result of the injuries he sustained during the attack," investigators said. 

If you have information, call police at (720) 913-7867

[Photo: Denver Police]

CHEMICAL LEAK AT MAJOR FEDERAL LAB IN JEFFCO

Workers were exposed to chemical fumes Tuesday at the National Laboratory of the Rockies in Jefferson County, a major U.S. Energy Department facility.
"A call to 911 reported a strong chemical odor in one laboratory," West Metro Fire said. "Four to five people were exposed to the chemical but did not need medical treatment. "West Metro's hazmat team made entry to the lab, and found an obstruction in the lab's ventilation system," the fire service said. "The team cleared the obstruction to get the system working properly again." The laboratory is located at 15013 Denver West Parkway.

2 ESCAPE FIRE TRIGGERED BY LITHIUM-ION BATTERY IN AURORA

Two people escaped a house fire Tuesday in the 18300-block of East Cornell Place in Aurora. "A lithium-ion battery was charging in the garage and overheated," officials said. [Photos: Aurora Fire]

RAIDS YIELD 5 ARRESTS IN LINCOLN, EL PASO COUNTIES

Deputies raided two sites in Lincoln and El Paso counties, seizing stolen property and arresting five suspects, officials said Tuesday. No injuries were reported. The property was returned to its owner.

[Photo: Lincoln County Sheriff's Office]

TIRES BURN AT HIGH PLAINS RACEWAY

A prairie fire spread to a tire pile and belched thick black smoke at High Plains Raceway in eastern Arapahoe County.

The sheriff's office said. "Five deputies responded to assist as multiple fire departments and a helicopter worked to contain the blaze. Approximately 20 acres burned."

The popular raceway is located northeast of Deer Trail along U.S. Highway 36. No injuries were reported in Tuesday's blaze.

[Photos: Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office, Agate Fire]

DEAD PRISON INMATES ID'd AS MURDERER, AUTO THIEF

A coroner identified the inmates killed at the Bent County Correctional Facility as Michael Fisher, 59, a murderer serving a life sentence, and Charles Gates, 27, an auto thief.

A third inmate at the medium-security prison was injured. The state corrections department declined to provide further details of Saturday night's incident.

Bent County sheriff's deputies responded to the prison after inmates were discovered missing during a count, the Denver Post reported.

The for-profit prison, owned by Tennessee-based CoreCivic, is located in Las Animas. 

[Photos: Colorado Department of Corrections]

COPS HUNT THORNTON GUNMAN

Police are hunting for the driver of a black sedan suspected of shooting and seriously wounding a man in Thornton. The shooting occurred Sunday night in the 200-block of East 120th Avenue.

FIRE AT RETIREMENT COMMUNITY IN WHEAT RIDGE

Fire broke out early Tuesday at the Morningside Retirement Community in Wheat Ridge. "911 callers reported seeing smoke and flames on a patio," West Metro Fire said. No one was hurt. The retirement community is located at 3630 Vance Street.

BAD AFTERNOON: ROCK CLIMBER STRANDED IN UNAWEEP

Braving harsh winds, Mesa County Search and Rescue saved a climber stranded on a ledge on Reflections Wall in Unaweep Canyon. The climber, who wasn't hurt in Sunday's mishap, was provided with a harness and helmet for the steep descent. "Proper equipment, careful route planning, and climbing with a partner can significantly improve safety," officials said. [Photos: Mesa County Search and Rescue]

WYOMING DEPUTY SHOT NEAR COLORADO BORDER; GUNMAN DEAD

UPDATE

A gunman wounded a sheriff's deputy Monday in Baggs, Wyoming, about three miles north of the border with western Colorado.

Carbon County, Wyoming, sheriff's deputies and Wyoming state troopers chased the gunman's truck on Highway 789 and he was found dead after another round of gunfire, the Carbon County Sheriff's Office said. The wounded deputy was airlifted to a hospital in Grand Junction, Colorado. He was struck several times. Dispatchers had lost radio contact. A regional SWAT team from Colorado responded to the shooting as did a member of the Colorado State Patrol. The Moffat County, Colorado, Sheriff's Office said: "A robotic platform and unmanned aerial systems (drones) were deployed to safely assess the situation. Through those efforts, law enforcement personnel determined that the male suspect was deceased inside the vehicle."

DUCKS INTO LAKEWOOD SEWER TO SAVE DUCKLINGS

In Lakewood, West Metro firefighters rescued six ducklings trapped in a storm drain on Jewell Avenue and stopped traffic to reunite them with their mother. A motorist summoned help after seeing the distraught parent in traffic on Monday.

[Photo: West Metro Fire]

FIREFIGHTER INJURED IN NORTH DENVER INFERNO

A firefighter was injured battling a blaze Monday in North Denver, officials said. The fire broke out near 33rd Avenue and Navajo Street. The injured firefighter was transported to Denver Health for treatment of a burn on his back. [Photos: Denver Fire]

DISPENSARY ROBBERS SENTENCED TO 30 YEARS IN PRISON

A Weld County judge sentenced Antonio Deray Darnell, 36, and Gabriel Angel Sanchez, 32, to 30 years in prison for robbing five marijuana dispensaries. The men, from California, stole more than $116,000 from cash couriers in 2023.

Photo: Weld County DA]

FIREFIGHTERS RUNITE DOG WITH OWNER IN ADAMS COUNTY

In Adams County, members of Engine Company 11 collared a wayward dog "running every which way" on Pecos Street on Monday and reunited him with his owner, officials said.

[Photos: Adams County Fire]

1 INJURED IN HOUSE FIRE IN CENTENNIAL

In Centennial, a person was transported to hospital from a house fire Monday in the 6600-block of South Sherman Street, South Metro Fire said. [Photo: South Metro Fire]

FBI SEIZES DRUGS IN AURORA

In Aurora, the FBI seized 22,225 fentanyl pills, 7.5 ounces of fentanyl powder and $6,000 in cash in late May - and arrested two suspects, officials said. Dealers charge between $0.50 to $5 per dose, according to estimates. [Photo: FBI]

ARREST IN 1998 KIDNAPPING, ASSAULT IN FRISCO

Eugene Elisha, 67, was arrested as a suspect in the kidnapping and violent assault of a teenage girl in Frisco three decades ago, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation said.

Bail was set at $2.5 million. The crime occurred in a stairwell at a condominium complex on Feb. 6, 1998.

"Technological advances in DNA allowed investigators to generate new leads from the original DNA profile," CBI said. "Subsequent testing of a DNA sample obtained from Elisha confirmed a match to the evidence collected in 1998."

1 DEAD, 6 HURT IN VIOLENT DENVER WEEKEND

Bullets flew and knives slashed in a violent weekend across Denver.

A person was shot to death in the vicinity of East Colfax Avenue and North Dahlia Street while two people were injured in a shooting in the 300-block of Santa Fe Drive, police said. Another person was wounded in a shooting in the 300-block of North Speer Boulevard. A suspect was arrested after a person was shot and injured in the 4700-block of Airport Way. Police identified the suspect as Davon Morgan, 35. Two people were hurt in stabbings in the 4100-block North Garfield Street and the 4300-block East 48th Avenue.

FIRE SWEEPS CLUTTERED YARD IN DENVER

A blaze swept sheds in the cluttered yard of a home in Southwest Denver. No injuries were reported in the blaze near West 3rd Avenue and Perry Street, officials said. [Photo: Denver Fire]

DUPLEX FIRE KILLS RESIDENT, INJURES 2 FIREFIGHTERS IN JEFFCO

A fire that apparently started in the garage of a duplex killed a resident early Sunday, West Metro Fire said. Two firefighters were injured in the blaze on Vivian Street near 14th Avenue in Jefferson County.

"A neighbor called 911 after seeing smoke coming from the garage," officials said. "When firefighters arrived, they found heavy smoke and flames, with fire extending into the living area, and immediately began search and rescue operations.

"Three people were inside the home at the time. Two were able to escape, but one person who was asleep upstairs was unable to get out," officials said "Firefighters located the person and brought them out of the home. The person did not survive. "Two firefighters involved in the rescue suffered minor injuries and were transported to the hospital for treatment." [Photo: West Metro Fire]

BIKER ARRESTED AFTER FATAL CRASH IN DENVER

UPDATE A motorcycle passenger died Sunday in a crash in Denver - and the operator was arrested for investigation of motor vehicle theft. Police identified the suspect as Mario Flores Ruiz-Esparza, 25. He suffered serious injuries in the crash at Federal Boulevard and West Virginia Avenue.

The passenger was pronounced dead at the scene. No other details were released. In a separate incident, a motorcycle rider was injured in a hit-and-run accident Sunday at East 14th Avenue and North Colorado Boulevard in Denver, police said.

FLAMES ENGULF HOME IN CASTLE ROCK; FAMILY AND PETS SAFE

Flames engulfed a home Saturday night in the Crystal Valley section of Castle Rock. The residents and their pets escaped the fire near the intersection of Loop Drive and Echo Hollow Street.

"Firefighters encountered a fully involved garage fire with reports of possible explosions originating from inside the garage," Castle Rock Fire said. "The fire had also extended to a vehicle in the driveway and into the residence."

"Two civilians were treated for minor injuries, and one individual was transported to a local hospital for further evaluation and treatment," officials said. The cause of the fire was under investigation. Earlier Saturday, crews battled a two-alarm fire in The Meadows neighborhood of Castle Rock, near Clear Sky Elementary School. No injuries were reported. Two cats were rescued. [Photo: Castle Rock Fire]

2 INMATES KILLED, 1 HURT AT FOR-PROFIT, PRIVATE PRISON

Two state inmates were killed at a for-profit, privately owned prison in southeast Colorado.

A third inmate was injured and transported to hospital, according to the Colorado Department of Corrections.

The Bent County Correctional Facility, located in Las Animas, is owned and operated by CoreCivic, formerly known as Corrections Corporation of America.

Authorities released no details on Saturday night's incident.

In the aftermath, the prison, which houses about 1,400 medium-security inmates, was locked down and visiting hours were cancelled at all state prisons.

CoreCivic also operates Colorado's Crowley County Correctional Facility in Olney Springs, site of a riot in July 2004.

Based in Tennessee, CoreCivic operates about 70 state and federal prisons. In 2024, it earned net income of $68.9 million on $2 billion in revenue, according to corporate data.

[Photo: Colorado Department of Corrections]

NABBED! DEPUTIES STOP FUGITIVE AFTER E-BIKE CHASE IN CENTENNIAL

Fugitive Eric Tengan, 43, wanted on felony drug charges, was captured Wednesday after fleeing on an e-bike in Centennial. "Deputies with the Special Investigations Unit initially located him at a hotel in the 13000 block of E. Briarwood Ave," the Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office said on social media. "When deputies attempted to contact him, he fled on the e-bike. "After deputies ordered him to stop, Tengan abandoned the bike and ran on foot," officials said. "Deputies pursued him, and he quickly surrendered near E. Peakview Ave. and S. Uvalda St." [Photos: Arapahoe County Sheriff]

ARVADA MOM CHARGED AFTER TEEN DIES OF ALCOHOLISM; COPS FIND 173 EMPTY BOTTLES

Prosecutors charged Gretchen Leanne Ryan of Arvada with second-degree murder in the alcoholism death of her teenage daughter.

The suspect was booked into the Jefferson County Jail and held on a $500,000 cash-only bond. The girl, 16, was pronounced dead at a home in the 6400-block of West 85th Avenue on March 9. She was unenrolled from her public high school last year. 

An autopsy "revealed the victim had an abnormally fatty liver for someone of her age," a sign of extensive and prolonged drinking, prosecutors said, and "digital evidence showed that Ryan and the victim frequently consumed alcohol and marijuana together."

"During a search of the victim’s bedroom, detectives located 173 empty alcohol bottles concealed under the bed and in the closet, including various brands and sizes of vodka and other hard liquor," prosecutors said.

COPS AND FBI SEEK SUSPECT IN AURORA BANK ROBBERY

Police and the FBI are seeking a suspect in the May 29 robbery of a Wells Fargo Bank branch on East Prospect Avenue in Aurora.