DEADLY SHOOTOUT: GUNMAN OPENS FIRE ON POLICE IN AMBUSH ON RTD BUS IN LAKEWOOD

UPDATE

A parolee armed with a gun ambushed Lakewood police on an RTD bus at the busy corner of West Colfax and Wadsworth on Thursday evening, killing one agent and wounding three others as well as a bystander - before dying in a hail of bullets.

Police identified the slain agent as Nicholas Graham, 33, a six-year veteran. The dead gunman was as identified as Gabriel Steven Garcia, 34, who was released from prison in September and absconded parole, according to sources.
"Police responded to a call of a suspicious person near the intersection," Lakewood police officials said. "A suspect from an earlier hit and run incident was spotted boarding an RTD bus heading northbound.

"Lakewood agents came in contact with the suspect on the bus, when the suspect began firing at agents," the officials said. "Lakewood agents fired back, killing the suspect." The bus was running on the RTD 76 line, which links Lakewood Commons to Olde Town Arvada along Wadsworth Boulevard, when the shooting broke out at 6:30 p.m. 

Police "hopped on and then shots instantly started ringing from there,” a motorist stopped in traffic next to the bus told 9 News. "I instantly just saw shots firing and I ducked down."

TV images showed a red car crashed into the rear of the bus. Images also showed three bullet holes in a window toward the rear of the bus. 

The hit and run that set off the deadly chain of events occurred in the vicinity of Kipling Street and West 13th Avenue at about 3:45 p.m.

Colorado Governor Jared Polis issued a statement, saying: "I am heartbroken to learn that a Lakewood Police Agent was killed in the line of duty this evening. My heart goes out to their family and friends. My thoughts are also with the three agents who are still receiving care at area hospitals, as well as the civilian who was wounded."

The agents were transported to Denver Health. The bystander was sent to St. Anthony's. John Romero, a Lakewood police spokesperson, said the gunman was "pronounced dead at the scene.”

As a bagpiper played "Amazing Grace," a police motorcade escorted an ambulance carrying the dead agent's body - which was draped in an American flag - to a mortuary early Friday. On Friday morning, police announced neighboring law enforcement agencies will "handle our patrols and respond to calls for service so that our agents and staff have the dedicated space to grieve, support one another, and begin to heal as a department family." The last Lakewood police agent to die in the line of was Jim Davies, 35, accidentally shot on duty on Nov. 9, 2012, according to the Officer Down Memorial website.

[Photos: Lakewood Police, Colorado Department of Corrections]

Gabriel Garcia

FIREFIGHTERS SAVE PERSON PINNED IN WELD COUNTY WRECK

Firefighters saved a person trapped in the wreckage of an auto that collided with a semi-truck Thursday in the Weld County community of Frederick.

The crash occurred at Bella Rosa Parkway and Aggregate Boulevard, according to Frederick-Firestone Fire. 

"Crews worked to lift the trailer, winch the vehicle out from underneath, and use hydraulic cutters and spreaders to extricate the patient," officials said. "Thankfully, there were no fatalities." [Photos: Frederick-Firestone Fire]

AERIAL DOOR DASH FOR COLORADO FLOOD ZONE

A Colorado National Guard Chinook helicopter laden with food relief landed at Navaho State Park in flood-stricken southwest Colorado.

Members of the Archuleta County Sheriff's Office, personnel from Colorado Parks and Wildlife and Good Samaritans were there to help support Wednesday's military mission.

Make that order to go!

[Photos: Colorado Parks and Wildlife]

2 INJURED AT CARBON MONOXIDE EMERGENCY IN AURORA

Two people were seriously injured Thursday in a carbon monoxide emergency in Aurora, fire officials said.

The incident occurred at the Bella Terra Apartments on East Evans Avenue. Elevated levels of the gas were detected at Building 15442 and it was evacuated and ventilated, officials said. [Photo: Aurora Fire]

DEMS TIGHTEN GRIP ON STATE CAPITOL

Democrats are poised to hold supermajorities in both chambers of the Colorado Legislature after Tuesday's election. Democrats expect to have a 24-11 majority in the Senate and a 49-16 majority in the House, according to Colorado Newsline.

HIT JOB: TRIO CHARGED IN I-25 SHOOTING IN LOVELAND

Jose Silva, Andres Valles and a youth were charged with attempted murder in a "targeted" shooting that wounded two people near the I-25 and Eisenhower Boulevard off-ramp in Loveland, police said Thursday. The victims, who were acquainted with the suspects, "sustained life-threatening" injuries and "continue to face significant recovery," police said. The shooting occurred just after midnight on Sept. 21. Police were notified via an iPhone crash alert. "Evidence gathered during the investigation confirmed this was a targeted incident," police said. A magistrate set bond at $1.25 million for Valles and $750,000 for Silva and ordered the juvenile suspect detained. Loveland officials said: "We truly thank our local, state, and federal partners, including the Thornton, Westminster, and Commerce City Police Departments, the District Attorney’s Office, CIAC, FBI Task Forces, ATF, and so many others for making these apprehensions possible."

TOTAL LOSS: INFERNO DESTROYS BUILDING IN SPRINGS

UPDATE

Flames destroyed a commercial building early Thursday in Colorado Springs and a demolition crew moved in shortly after the blaze was declared under control, the fire department said.

"The building is known to be vacant," officials said. "A deep-seated fire quickly spread and the building was fully involved upon arrival." No injuries were reported in the two-alarm blaze in an industrial area at Sawatch Street and Colorado Avenue. A demolition crew started moving debris just hours after the inferno "for safety reasons for firefighters and the community," officials said. The cause was under investigation. [Photos: Colorado Springs Fire, AMR]

FUGITIVE SHOT IN GUN FIGHT WITH COPS IN COLORADO SPRINGS

A fugitive was shot and wounded Wednesday after opening fire on Colorado Springs police officers and El Paso County deputies.

The suspect was known to be "armed and dangerous," police said.

No one else was wounded during Wednesday afternoon's violent incident at the Aviator apartments at 1670 North Murray Boulevard in Colorado Springs - but a patrol car was damaged by gunfire.

"Officers followed the suspect vehicle into the parking lot," police said. "As officers attempted to make contact with the occupants of the vehicle, they announced themselves as police. "The wanted suspect fired at least one shot from the passenger seat of the vehicle, striking one of the police vehicles in the windshield," police said. "Officers and at least one deputy returned fire, striking the suspect." He was reported to be in serious condition at hospital.

DRUNKEN GUNMAN KICKS COP UPON ARREST IN COMMERCE CITY

A drunken gunman kicked a police officer after he was arrested for firing rounds in the backyard of a home in Commerce City.

The incident occurred Wednesday night in the 1600-block of East 102nd Avenue.

"We ordered all occupants out of the house and took an intoxicated individual into custody who then retaliated by kicking one of our officers," police said. The man was the subject of a protection order that prohibited him from accessing firearms and consuming alcohol. He was arrested on charges of Protection Order Violation, Prohibited Use of a Weapon and 2nd Degree Assault on a Peace Officer. No serious injuries were reported. "As police officers we absolutely support your legal right to own firearm but when you're drunk and firing them off in your suburban backyard - well, we have a problem," police said. "Neighbors were terrified but officers were vigilant," they added. [Photo: Commerce City Police]

COLD CASE: ROCKY FORD'S SANCHEZ-MESTAS MYSTERY; TEENS VANISHED IN NOVEMBER 1982

Sanchez

Mestas

When they vanished on Nov. 1, 1982, police suspected that Rocky Ford High School students Victoria "Vicki" Sachez and Yvonne Mestas intentionally left town.

They were 15. Today, they'd be 59. Are they alive? 

Their missing persons case is. 

Today's Rocky Ford police chief, Matthew Wallace, said he keeps the Sanchez-Mestas file close to his desk at police headquarters and collaborates with the Colorado Bureau of Investigation on the 1982 mystery.

Media reports from almost a decade said investigators had developed a fresh lead. Nothing more was said. 

In a telephone interview this week with the Daily Sketch, Wallace declined to discuss specifics of that 2017 discovery or evidence developed since then.

"We're still working this case," the chief said.

Rocky Ford is located in Otero County in the Arkansas Valley where U.S. Highway 50 intersects with Colorado 71.

The teens were last seen on foot at the high school.

According to CBI, Sanchez "suffered from a broken elbow and has a surgical scar on her left arm which runs from the wrist to the inside of her elbow" while Mestas had a heart-shaped birthmark on her buttocks.

If you have information, contact the Rocky Ford Police Department (719) 254-3344

[Photos: CBI]

Age-enhanced images of Sanchez and Mestas

JAYWALKING LEADS TO METH BUST IN EVANS

A man initially stopped for jaywalking on Highway 85 in Evans was arrested Tuesday on a more serious criminal charge - meth possession. Police said the man - a resident of Greeley - attempted to flee after an officer learned of an active warrant for his arrest. The meth, estimated at 3.5 ounces or so, was discovered after he was frisked. As of Wednesday, the suspect faced new charges of drug possession and distribution, resisting arrest ... and jaywalking. A woman accompanying the man was released without charge, not even jaywalking.

KNEE-DEEP FLOOD RESCUE IN LA PLATA COUNTY

Knee-deep in muddy water, Sergeant Fender and K-9 Deputy Mohney of the La Plata County Sheriff's Office carried a senior evacuating his home during historic flooding in southwest Colorado "Sometimes a single picture tells a story better," the sheriff's office said. Bravo! [Photo: La Plata County Sheriff]

COPS ARREST GUNMAN FOR ATTEMPTED MURDER IN WELD COUNTY TOWN OF AULT

Police arrested a suspect early Wednesday on charges of attempted first-degree murder, reckless endangerment and unlawful discharge of a firearm in the Weld County town of Ault, officials said. 911 callers reported hearing gunshots in the 400-block of Graefe Avenue at about 1:40 a.m. "Officers from the Ault Police Department and Eaton Police Department responded to the scene and quickly located and apprehended a 53-year-old male suspect who was still in possession of a firearm," officials said. The suspect was booked into the Weld County Jail. Residents who believe they may have video footage are asked to contact the Ault Police Department (970) 834-1336.

SHIRTLESS MYSTERY MAN FLEES I-70 CRASH ON FOOT

A shirtless mystery man wearing blue jeans ran from the scene of a crash on I-70 on Tuesday evening, the Clear Creek County Sheriff's Office said.

A search by land and drone yielded no suspect. The sheriff's office advised residents to "keep their doors and windows locked." The accident occurred in the eastbound lanes of the interstate just before the Fall River Road exit. The man, believed to be white or Hispanic and weighing about 200 pounds, "went south across the creek and Stanley Road, and then up the mountainside," the sheriff's office said, adding: "Unknown if armed, or why he ran." [Photo: Clear Creek County Sheriff]

MOTORCYCLE RIDER DIES IN COMMERCE CITY

A vehicle crashed into the rear of a motorcycle in Commerce City, killing the rider, police said early Wednesday.

The accident occurred at Highway 85 and 112th Avenue. "Preliminary investigation suggests the vehicle rear-ended the motorcycle as they approached 112th," police said. "The driver is facing a number of charges as a result." The type of vehicle was not disclosed. [Photo: Commerce City Police]

MISSING CLIMBERS PLUNGED TO DEATHS AT WEST APOSTLE MOUNTAIN

Climbers Kaden Matsuda, 19, and Jackson Donlon, 20, subjects of a dramatic search, plunged to their deaths at West Apostle Mountain in Chaffee County due to a "catastrophic" equipment failure, the sheriff and coroner announced Tuesday.

"The autopsy showed that the cause of both their deaths was multiple blunt force injuries and their deaths were instant," an official statement said.

Their bodies were recovered Oct. 29 a mountain basin. They had been missing for several days.

An investigation by the Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office showed:

“Jackson was beginning to rappel from a primary anchor point on a rock substrate. That anchor appears to have been backed up by a piton and a secondary anchor made of rock substrate. Kaden was attached via his personal anchor device to the same anchor points as well as the primary anchor point. The anchor had a catastrophic failure of unknown cause.

"Both then fell a substantial distance (exact distance unknown). It is unknown if the heavy snowstorm had a negative impact leading to the incident, but it did not play a direct contributing factor in their death.”

The men attended the Leadville campus of Colorado Mountain College.

BEAR WITHOUT BOARDING PASS VISITS AIRPORT AT MONTROSE

A bear bearing no ticket was coaxed off the ramp at Montrose Regional Airport on Tuesday.

No harm done. No major delays.

"He showed up without a boarding pass, didn't have the proper ramp credentials, and frankly, didn't seem to have any intention of catching a flight," airport officials said. They speculated that the scent of fresh baked goods at the airport cafe may have attracted the four-legged visitor. Montrose is served by American, Delta, United and Southwest airlines, according to the airport's website.

[Photos: Montrose Regional Airport]

NATIONAL GUARD RESCUES FLOOD VICTIMS, DOGS AND CATS IN SOUTHWEST COLORADO

UPDATE

The Colorado National Guard rescued more than 50 people, over 20 dogs and several cats from historic flooding in southwest Colorado, Governor Jared Polis said Tuesday. The state transportation department is inspecting damaged bridges and highways, the governor said. The Piedra River Bridge on Highway 160 west of Pagosa Spring sustained significant damage after its piers collapsed and will need to be rebuilt, Polis said. Flooding damaged a natural gas pipeline near the Piedra River, he said.
In Mineral County, emergency managers Tuesday reported flood damage forced a 33-mile shutdown of U.S. Highway 160 over Wolf Creek Pass from north of Pagosa Springs to South Fork. "Mud and rockslides up to six feet high have crossed the highway in several areas along the west side of the pass," the officials said. Regionwide, the Colorado Department of Transportation reported the following closures as of Tuesday afternoon:

CO 112 - Rio Grande Bridge in Del Norte (Mile Point 1)

CO 151 - South of Chimney Rock (MP 27 to 30)

CO 17 - New Mexico state line to Antonito (MP 0 to 39)

US 160 - Wolf Creek Pass to South Fork (MP 157 to 184.5)

US 160 - Piedra River Bridge to Pagosa Springs (MP 121 to 139)

US 285 - Rio Grande Bridge in Monte Vista (MP 52 to 56)

[Photo: Colorado National Guard, Mineral County Emergency Management]

Wolf Creek Pass in Mineral County

ASPEN FAMILY ABOARD TRAGIC FLORIDA JET

Four members of a young Aspen family were aboard a corporate jet that fell from the sky over Florida, the Associated Press reported Tuesday.

The news agency identified the family as Adam Robinson, his wife, Helen Sharp, and their children, Emma 4, and, Charlie, 2.

There were seven passengers and two crew members aboard the jet when it crashed in a fireball Sunday on a highway near West Palm Beach. No one survived. 

The fight was bound for the Bahamas from Austin when the crew reported a sudden loss of control in bad weather.

[Photo: Social Media]

DOH! DASHCAM CAPTURES IMAGES OF COMMERCE CITY TRUCK THIEF

A dashcam mounted inside a stolen Dodge Ram snapped images of the thief, Commerce City police said Tuesday.

"We couldn’t have taken a better picture if we had posed him ourselves," they added.
The crook - still at large as of Tuesday - broke into a warehouse in the 6700-block of Brighton Boulevard and made off with $50,000 of copper wire and the truck last month. "He then dumped the stolen Ram about a mile away and fled in a silver sedan," police said. "During the commission of the crime he also caused extensive and expensive damage to the inside of the warehouse, the rear garage door and the front gate."

If you have information, contact Commerce City Police Investigator Dominick at jdominick@c3gov.com [Photos: Commerce City Police]

COLORADO NATIONAL GUARD 'MERCY FLIGHT' SAVED LITTLE BECKY SUE SADLER

In the pioneering days of aviation, a brave Colorado National Guard crew rushed serum over the Continental Divide - from Denver to distant Cortez - by dark of night and saved the life of little Betty Sue Sadler, 5, victim of botulism poisoning.

Colorado Governor Ralph Carr approved the urgent "mercy flight" by three members of the guard's 120th Observation Squadron to the southwestern corner of the state, a one-way trip of almost 300 miles.

The Sadler family's physician, H. R. Rasor, suspected home-canned cucumbers and peaches caused the lethal poisoning. The girl's little sister, age 3, died earlier that day - Nov. 4, 1940 - after eating the tainted food vegetables and fruit, the Rocky Mountain News said. The family drove to Cortez from their farm 30 miles northwest of town.

The physician appealed to the state trooper assigned to Cortez, Thomas Maier, for help. The trooper informed Joseph Marsh, the patrol supervisor in Denver, who then relayed the appeal to the governor.

Coloado's health secretary, Roy Cleere, procured the serum from Dr. Harry C. Evers, of 620 South Broadway in Denver - a veterinarian.

At that time, the common cure for botulism was derived from horse blood serum, according to the Smithsonian Institution. The equine-based formulation contained protective antibodies that were injected into infected patients.

The National Guard aircraft was waiting at the Denver's municipal airfield. It was piloted by Major Harrison Wellman, accompanied a crew of two sergeants, Joseph Moffatt and Samuel McGrew - and departed at 7:30 p.m., less than a hour after the request for help.

The craft arrived at Cortez at about 9 p.m., though shifting winds forced Wellman to circle the field for almost an hour as the aircraft's fuel dwindled.

In the meantime, the serum was dropped by parachute and rushed to the girl's bedside. Her doctor was waiting at the airfield.

During the drama, the governor telephoned local authorities in Cortez and requested the landing site "be outlined with automobile headlights and the runway marked with flares," the Rocky Mountain News said. Runway lights weren't all that common in 1940.

The rescue aircraft was most likely a newly delivered three-seat North American O-47 observation monoplane developed in the 1930s. Prior to 1940, the Colorado National Guard operated single-seat biplanes.

[Photo: Wikipedia]