PEDESTRIAN HURT IN DENVER HIT & RUN

A pedestrian was seriously injured Saturday in the 900-block of South Tejon Street in Denver and taken to hospital. Police provided no other details.

WISH THIS BIRD A VERY HAPPY BIRD-DAY

Rudo, one of the largest penguins at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, is turning 8 years old. Rudo is "a familiar face on the penguin path," zoo officials say. [Photo: Cheyenne Mountain Zoo]

DEATH INVESTIGATION IN THORNTON

In Thornton, police conducted an "outdoor death investigation" Saturday near the 8500-block of Grant Street. "Additional updates will be provided only if the investigation determines the death to be suspicious or criminal in nature," police said.

WOMAN ARRESTED AS SUSPECT IN HOUSE PARTY SHOOTING THAT INJURED 3 IN BRIGHTON

UPDATE Casandra Rocha-Martinez, 19, was arrested early Saturday as a suspect in a shooting at a house party in Brighton that injured two women and a man, police said.
The shooting followed an argument at the residence on South 8th Avenue near Bridge Street. 

"A suspect produced a handgun and fired multiple rounds toward the residence and individuals standing in the front yard," police said. "Victims and witnesses provided officers with a description of the suspect, who fled the scene at a high rate of speed and was later involved in a vehicle crash," police said. "A 23-year-old female was ejected from the vehicle and transported to the hospital for treatment." Rocha-Martinez faces charges of attempted first-degree murder and vehicular assault, police said. The women, ages 23 and 24, were reported in critical condition. The man, 18, was treated and released from hospital. There was no word on the conditions of the suspect or the woman ejected from the getaway car. Firefighters and medics responded to the shooting at the same time as police. "While enroute from Station 52, Brighton Fire crews observed a vehicle collision involving two buildings near South 27th Avenue and East Bridge Street. Additional resources were requested while crews continued their response to the original incident," fire officials said. [Photo: Brighton Fire]

MELTDOWN DANGER: ROCKY FLATS NUKE FIRE THREATENED DENVER AREA ON SEPT. 11, 1957

Rocky Flats suffered a secret September 11 nuclear accident in 1957 that could have turned the Denver area into a disaster zone.

The U.S. government's now-shuttered industrial site fabricated components for nuclear weapons, such as bomb triggers.

Today it's a wildlife refuge and public park. However, the risk of lingering radiation prompted Boulder County to post new radiation risk signs in public areas in recent weeks. Westminster plans to take similar steps. Rocky Flats remains open to the public.

On Sept. 11, 1957, spontaneous combustion of plutonium inside a processing unit started a fire that poured contamination. It was "the first major plutonium fire in a United States weapons laboratory," according to the Energy Department.

Due to constant danger, the facility fielded its own fire department. Firefighters tried and failed to douse the blaze with carbon dioxide and eventually knocked down the flames with water.

It was the Cold War-era and the government hid the incident from the public under the guise of top secrecy.

The Crisis

This is an account of the blaze, based on a now declassified Energy Department report:

"At 10:10 p.m. on September 11, 1957, the smell of burning rubber led two Rocky Flats Plant guards in Building 71 to a glovebox emitting eighteen-inch flames in Room 180. At the time of the fire, Building 71 (also called "C Plant" and, later, Building 771) was an essential component of the Rocky Flats Plant. Designed for work with delta-phase plutonium, Building 71 opened in 1953 to recover plutonium for hydrogen bomb triggers."

The blaze "apparently caused by the spontaneous ignition of a small amount of alpha-plutonium turnings or skulls (metallic casting residues), soon spread along the Plexiglas and set off a chain of events.

"Additional building personnel and Rocky Flats Plant firefighters arrived at the scene of the fire two minutes after the guards alerted them, but the time they spent donning protective clothing and debating the best course of action delayed them from combating the flames for ten minutes.

"A fire department lieutenant wanted to douse the flames with water, but both a building production shift supervisor and a plant health physicist initially rejected that plan out of fear of inducing criticality. Workers tried, unsuccessfully, to put out the fire with available carbon dioxide extinguishers."

The Plume Rises

"Firefighters eventually sprayed water on the Room 180 fire and extinguished it safely. During that interval, however, unburned combustible gases apparently passed under pressure through ventilation ductwork and ignited the filters in the building's exhaust filter plenum.

"Minutes after firefighters put out the Room 180 fire, the exhaust system exploded. On order of the health physics supervisor, everyone evacuated the building to escape plutonium contamination, which spread throughout the building and out through the ventilation system. 

"Outside the building, observers saw a 'very dark' smoke plume, 80 to 100 feet high, billow from the stack. Arriving at the site after the evacuation, the section superintendent ordered the firefighters to concentrate on extinguishing the filter fire, although several minor rekindlings at the original site also occurred.

"At 11:10 p.m., Building 71's electrical power failed, the darkness hampering all efforts. By late the next morning, most of the filter bank and the alpha-phase interim facility in Room 180 had been destroyed. During the final hours of the fire, Rocky Flats personnel discovered burning cylinders of nickel carbonyl inside the exhaust plenum and cooled them with water.

"The nickel carbonyl was used to provide a protective nickel coating to plutonium components so they could be handled in the open with less risk of personnel exposure to contamination or buildup of static electricity. A production section superintendent subsequently directed employees to place all the carbonyl cylinders in drums and temporarily bury the drums outside in a pit.

"Thirteen hours after the guards first discovered flames, firefighters succeeded in totally extinguishing the fire at 11:28 a.m. on September 12."

Another fire broke out under similar circumstance on May 11, 1969, though the level of contamination was less than 1957. Officials were more forthright about that incident.

[Photo: Energy Department]

 

DENVER ZOO NAMES ITS 4 LION CUBS

The Denver Zoo officially named its almost six-month-old lion cubs.

Introducing Guion, Alpine Lily, Olive, and Poppy. They were born to mother Araali in August 2025. "Each cub is already showing off a distinct personality," the zoo said. "We don’t have a set schedule for when the cubs will be out, but we’re aiming to have them visible most days, especially on weekends." [Photo: Denver Zoo]

ARREST IN FATAL HIT & RUN IN AURORA

Police arrested a suspect in a hit-and-run crash that killed an adult and injured a youth Friday in Aurora.

The accident occurred at 13th Avenue and Peoria Street. The suspect was arrested in nearby Nome Park, police said. The youth was in serious condition.

TV images showed a silver SUV slammed that into the driver side of a red car.

In Denver, meantime, police reported a hit-and-run accident injured two pedestrians in the vicinity of East 8th Avenue and Ash Street.

COLORADO APPEALS FED'S PLAN FOR ELECTRIC PLANT

Colorado is appealing the federal government's order to keep an aged coal-fueled electric power plant available for operation.

The mothballed Craig Unit 1 plant in Moffat County is "inoperable due to damage and the decision to keep it open requires extensive costs — without improving grid electric reliability," the state contends.

It had been slated for retirement last year.

BIRDS OF FEATHER FLOCK TOGETHER

This pair of American kestrels was spotted recently at Barr Lake State Park. Kestrels - the smallest and most common falcons in North America - perch and scan for prey. 

[Photo: Colorado Parks and Wildlife]

SMOKING CAUSED FIRE IN FORT COLLINS

Discarded smoking material caused a fire in Fort Collins earlier this month, Poudre Fire Authority said Friday.

Investigators "determined that the fire started inside the manufactured home then fell through the floor where it received a fresh oxygen source and grew quickly," officials said.
A caller told 911: "Smoke is coming from out of the house everywhere.” The blaze - on North Timberline Road - occurred Jan. 20. A cat died.

[Photo: Poudre Fire Authority]

I-PHONE CALLS FOR HELP

In rural Washington County, deputies responded to an iPhone crash alert along Highway 34. Deputies found no crash - but they did find the iPhone. It had fallen from an auto. The device was reunited with its owner. The incident occurred Jan. 12, the Otis Telegraph reports.

COPS ARREST HATCHETMAN THREATENING TO KILL PEOPLE HIDING BEHIND DOOR IN DENVER

Denver police arrested a man armed with a hatchet accused of threatening to kill two people hiding behind a door.

"When officers arrived, they learned the victims were trapped inside and unable to safely exit," police said. "Acting quickly, officers made entry and removed the victims without harm." The officers discovered chop marks on the door.
The suspect, who was also carrying a large kitchen knife, fled and was arrested nearby, police said. The incident occurred in the 3000-block of Delgany Street om Jan. 25.

2 INJURED IN HOUSE FIRE IN AURORA

UPDATE

Fire broke out Friday morning at a home in the 15000-block of East Caspian Place in Aurora. Of the four people evacuated, two were injured - and one was reported in serious condition, Aurora Fire Rescue said.

DEPUTIES STOP AUTO, SAVE 17 ROOSTERS, SEIZE BLADES IN EAGLE COUNTY

Deputies stopped an auto on I-70 carrying 17 roosters as well as "various blades and equipment consistent with cockfighting," the Eagle County Sheriff's Office said. They also found narcotics and a large amount of U.S. currency and arrested three suspects. The sheriff's office said: "With the help of Eagle County Animal Services, the roosters were safely removed from the situation, cared for, and given a fresh start at Danzig’s Roost Rooster Sanctuary, where they are now undergoing intake and evaluation." Danzig’s Roost Rooster Sanctuary provides care and placement of game roosters seized during criminal investigations. It is located near Bennett. The arrests occurred last week during a patrol by the sheriff's office's Gore Range Narcotics Interdiction Team - GRANITE.   [Photos: Eagle County Sheriff's Office]

TRAIN HITS PEDESTRIAN IN DENVER

An RTD light rail train struck a pedestrian Thursday near the Colorado Station in the 4300-block of East Colorado Center Drive in Denver, police said. Shuttle buses replaced E and H line service between the Broadway and Southmoor stations, RTD said.

BALD EAGLE SHOT IN NORTHGLENN FACING TOUGH RECOVERY

The bald eagle shot by a ball bearing in Northglenn is making progress after surgery, officials said Thursday.

The eagle was rescued from the shoreline at Croke Reservoir with the metal projectile lodged in its right wing on Jan 12. The case is under investigation. Bald eagles are a federally and state protected species.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife said: "She's got a long road ahead of her and progress will be slow." If you have information on the shooting, call Operation Game Thief 1-877-265-6648. 

[Photo: Colorado Parks and Wildlife]

 

NO MORE R&R: RV DESTROYED BY FLAMES IN ADAMS COUNTY

Firefighters stopped flames from spreading after fire destroyed an RV at 70th Avenue and Holly Street in Commerce City on Wednesday night. South Adams Fire said: "Engine 23 arrived on scene and found a fully involved recreational vehicle camper that posed a significant threat to adjacent campers and vehicles. "Crews rapidly extinguished the fire, successfully preventing further damage to nearby structures and a fence. There were no reported injuries." [Photo: South Adams Fire]

FIRED UP OVER COLORADO COAL PLANT'S FUTURE

Environmental groups and Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser filed petitions with the U.S. Energy Department challenging an emergency order to extend operations at a coal-powered generating plant in Moffat County, Colorado Newsline reports.

ZAMBONI DRIVER KILLED IN FORT COLLINS

The driver of a Zamboni, a vehicle that resurfaces ice rinks, died after backing into an overhead door in Fort Collins. The accident occurred Tuesday at Edora Pool Ice Center.

CDOT PLOW SLAMS INTO HOCKEY TEAM VAN ON I-70; 1 DEAD, 8 HURT

UPDATE

An out-of-control CDOT snowplow slammed into a van carrying a youth hockey team on I-70 Thursday in Clear Creek County, killing the van driver, the state patrol said.

The van carried 10 people. Four youths and three adults were transported to hospital by ambulance. A medical helicopter evacuated a fifth youth. The van driver was pronounced dead at the scene. Another adult declined hospital treatment.

Two other autos were involved in the wreck. No injuries were reported in those vehicles. The accident on slush-covered I-70 occurred near Herman Gulch. The youth hockey team is from California.

The patrol provided this account:

"Preliminary information from the investigation shows that the CDOT plow truck was traveling westbound on I-70 when the driver lost control. The plow truck traveled through the median, breaking through the cable rail and into the eastbound lanes. The plow collided with a Toyota Tacoma that was traveling eastbound in the eastbound lanes. After impact, the Toyota went through the median and struck a BMW traveling westbound in the westbound lanes. 

"The plow continued eastbound and struck the sprinter van that was traveling eastbound in the eastbound lanes. After the impact, the sprinter van ended up down an embankment. The CDOT plow came to rest on the shoulder."

[Photo: Clear Creek County Sheriff's Office, Colorado State Patrol]

AMMONIA LEAK AT BREWERY IN FORT COLLINS

A Hazmat team plugged an ammonia leak at the New Belgium brewery at 500 Linden Street in Fort Collins on Thursday, Poudre Fire said. No injuries were reported. The entire plant was evacuated. [Photo: Poudre Fire Authority]

BEER TRUCK POPS TOP, SPILLS CANS AND KEGS IN WHEAT RIDGE

A semi-truck carrying hundreds of kegs and cans of beer suffered a tire blowout, tipped over and popped its top on the Highway 58 flyover to eastbound I-70 in Wheat River. The driver was hurt. The cleanup took five hours. Police said it happened last Wednesday. [Photos: Wheat Ridge police]

RUNNING ON FLATS: HUMMER CHASED BY COPS CRASHES, 2 ARRESTS

A speeding Hummer chased by police crashed in La Junta on Wednesday after the tires went flat, the Bent County Sheriff's Office said.

The man and woman inside were wanted on a variety of warrants. The driver, Levi Richard Barela, 34, was also charged with attempting to run down a state trooper. The passenger was identified as Vanessa Mondragon, 28. The sheriff's office said: "Despite the Colorado State Patrol successfully deploying tire deflation devices at two locations east of La Junta, the vehicle continued into the city of La Junta. The pursuit ended after the passenger tires disintegrated, causing the vehicle to exit the highway and jump the railroad tracks."

LITTLE RUNAWAYS WHO PACKED BAGS, LEFT HOME ARE SAFE

After several frantic hours, police located three sisters - ages 8, 10 and 12 - who abruptly packed their backpacks and left home in Aurora on Wednesday and they are OK.

"Our detectives will continue their investigation and will work closely with the Department of Human Services," police said. The incident occurred in the vicinity of East 22nd Avenue and Sable Boulevard. Their mother reported them missing. They were spotted on security video as they walked away from home. At the time of their disappearance, police said: "Their mother does not believe they are dressed appropriately for the weather, and two of the sisters should be wearing glasses but may not be." [Photo: Aurora Police Department]

FIRE CREWS SAVE MILLIKEN HOME FROM TOWERING FLAMES

Towering flames from a garage fire threatened a home at South Dorothy and East Elm streets in Milliken on Wednesday.

No injuries were reported and firefighters saved the dwelling, Front Range Fire said. The first engine company on the scene contained the blaze.

Greeley Fire and Platteville Gilcrest Fire provided reinforcements.

[Photo: Front Range Fire]

'I WANTED TO KILL THEM': DERANGED DRIVER SENTENCED TO 20 YEARS FOR HATE CRIME

Monster motorist Vitalie Oprea, 47, was sentenced to 20 years in prison for attempting to run down two women in Arapahoe County - an act described as a "bias-motivated hate crime," 18th Judicial District prosecutors said Wednesday.

“I drove at the women because I saw them kissing and they were lesbians and I wanted to kill them,” Oprea told a police officer.

The crime occurred Feb. 19, 2023, near the intersection of East Arapahoe Road and South Liverpool Street. Oprea had taken his parents' auto without permission. He fled the crime scene and was arrested later in the day in Arvada.

Prosecutors said:

"Oprea began yelling at and making obscene gestures toward the women before making a U-turn and driving westbound in the eastbound lanes of East Arapahoe Road in an apparent attempt to get closer to them. Fearing for their safety, the women ran into a grassy area near Grandview High School to escape.

"Witnesses reported Oprea drove over a curb, onto a sidewalk, and across a grassy area toward the women. The women were eventually able to get into a Ram pickup truck, which Oprea then rammed with his vehicle. Oprea exited his car, approached the passenger side of the truck, kicked the vehicle, opened the door, and attempted to pull one of the women out."

Oprea pleaded guilty to Attempted First-Degree Murder After Deliberation, along with a violent hate crime sentence enhancer.

DRIVER WADES OUT OF SOUTH PLATTE RIVER AFTER CRASH

A driver waded to shore after an auto landed on its side Wednesday in the South Platte River, South Adams Fire said. The driver in the watery wreck - at 96th Avenue and Monaco Street in Commerce City - was injured and taken to hospital. [Photo: South Adams Fire]

VEHICULAR HOMICIDE CHARGE IN LARIMER COUNTY

Wilson Arikita, 61, was booked on a vehicular homicide charge after his motorcycle fatally injured a bicyclist Tuesday on Larimer County Road 38E near Milner Mountain Ranch Road, the state patrol said.

BACK-TO-BACK CRIMES FOR SMOKE SHOP: VANDALISM THEN BURGLARY

A hit-and-run pickup truck backed into a smoke shop in Commerce City - and a little while later a burglar with a cigarette dangling from his mouth climbed through the smashed entry.

The nicotine-needing thief was "probably a different criminal than the one behind the wheel of the truck," police said. The double header - all caught on surveillance video at the Darth Vapor Smoke Shop on East 62nd Avenue - occurred Jan 13. The truck had no visible license plate. If you have information, contact jdominick@c3gov.com or (303) 289-5056.

[Photos: Commerce City Police Department]

TWO DEAD AFTER PICKUP TRUCK CRASHES, BURSTS INTO FLAMES; MAY HAVE RUN RED LIGHT

Two men died Wednesday after a pickup truck crashed into an auto and burst into flames in Colorado Springs, the state patrol said.

The men - ages 19 and 42 - were trapped inside the Fort F-150 and pronounced dead. The occupants of the auto, a Kia Telluride SUV, escaped injury.

Witness statements suggest the truck "may have run a red light" at North Carefree Circle and Marksheffel Road, the patrol said. 

WRONG WAY DRIVER CAUSES I-25 WRECK FLEES; STATE TROOPER, MOTORIST HURT

A Humvee plowed into a state patrol car trying to stop a wrong-way driver who then sped away from the scene on northbound I-25 early Wednesday.

The Humvee driver and a state trooper were injured near the Pikes Peak Racetrack in El Paso County. The wrong-way driver, who was traveling in a Honda, was eventually stopped and taken into custody by Fountain police officers.

The state patrol identified the suspect as Jennifer Elaine Bliss of Denver who faces charges of DUI, failing to yield and driving the wrong way, the patrol said. She wasn't injured.

Initially traveling south in the northbound, Bliss's Honda "turned around at mile marker 112 and was heading northbound in the northbound lanes when troopers caught up with the vehicle near mile marker 117," the patrol said. "A trooper attempted to stop the driver at this location, but the driver did not initially pull over."

She was arrested at mile marker 132 - a 20-mile chase.

[Photo: Colorado State Patrol]

MAN DIES AFTER BEING PULLED FROM ICY POND IN AURORA; HIS DOG SURVIVES

UPDATE

A man walking his dogs died after being pulled from an icy pond in Sand Creek Park, Aurora Fire Rescue said Wednesday.
Officials provided this account of Tuesday night's tragedy at 2564 Fitzsimons Parkway: "A witness called 911 after they saw a hole in the ice with a flashlight nearby and a dog in distress in the water.

"Firefighters wearing dry suits entered the pond and immediately rescued the dog. The dog was located approximately 20 feet from shore, and the water was 5-8 feet deep. "Firefighters used hand tools to feel for a victim under the water and quickly located the adult. Crews rescued the adult from the water and transported them to the hospital in critical condition." His death was announced Wednesday afternoon. South Metro Fire's diving team was called to check the pond to check for other victims. There were none. Two other dogs were found on shore.

[Photos: Aurora Fire Rescue]

HOUSE EXPLODES IN LAKEWOOD, GAS BLAMED

A gas leak triggered a blast that obliterated a home in Lakewood on Tuesday.

"911 callers reported hearing a loud explosion and then saw dark smoke," West Metro Fire said. "The blast caused structural damage, including blown-out doors and windows." The blast - in the 2200 block of Vance Street - injured a person inside the dwelling but they declined transport to a hospital, officials said. [Photo: West Metro Fire]

OIL RIG FIRE IN WELD COUNTY

Firefighters battled a blaze that ripped through an oil rig separating tank on County Road 70 in Weld County. Crews used thermal imaging and gas detection equipment to determine the safest place to set up hose lines and then extinguished the flames with foam. The alarm came in at 1:11 p.m. and the fire was declared under control at 2:23 p.m., according to Galeton Fire. No injuries were reports. Eaton Fire also answered the alarm. [Photos: Galeton Fire]

SHE MET HIM ONLINE. HE KIDNAPPED HER.

A jury convicted Rye Austin Lee Schaben, 41, of the armed kidnapping of a woman on West Briarwood Avenue in Littleton.

They had met online on May 14, 2024, and agreed to meet in person that night. Schaben abducted the woman and assaulted her in a park. The woman escaped and ran to a home for help.

"As officers searched the area for evidence, they located a single Broncos football glove," according to 18th Judicial District prosecutors. "While officers were still on-scene, dispatch advised that a man, later identified as Schaben, called police for a welfare check on himself.

"Schaben was in the backyard of a home that he did not reside at. In the backyard, officers located the second Bronco’s football glove.

"A photographic line-up was conducted and the victim positively identified Schaben as the man who attacked her. Investigators later learned Schaben was on parole at the time for a prior sex offense."

HOLD YOUR NOSE: TRASH PALACE FIRE NEAR I-270

Fire hit the Waste Management transfer facility in Commerce City on Tuesday. Medics treated one person at the scene of the blaze at 60th Avenue and Brighton Boulevard near I-270, South Adams Fire said. "The fire was contained by the sprinkler system, enabling crews to fully extinguish upon arrival," officials said. [Photo: South Adams Fire]

VOTERS TO HAVE SAY ON ICE IN COLORADO

Colorado voters in November will decide if law enforcement in the state should be required to work with federal immigration authorities, Colorado Newsline reports

Initiative 95 would amend the Colorado Constitution to require law enforcement to notify the U.S. Department of Homeland Security when a person who is not in the country lawfully, or when it is unclear if the person is lawfully present, is charged with a violent crime or was previously convicted of a felony. 

Law enforcement agencies would have 72 hours after charging someone with a crime to notify DHS if the agency could not determine whether the person is lawfully present after making “a reasonable attempt” to determine it. 

Colorado law currently restricts law enforcement from helping with federal immigration enforcement.

[Photo: Denver ICE]

FLAMES SCORCH HOME IN DOUGLAS COUNTY

Fire damaged a home Tuesday at 8621 Snowbrush Lane in unincorporated Douglas County. No one was injured, South Metro Fire said. [Photo: South Metro Fire]

CRASHES INTO DOOR, DONUTS; NO INJURIES AT CIRCLE K

An SUV crashed through the front door of a convenience store Tuesday, shattering glass, ruining displays and damaging the donut cabinet. No one was injured in the accident at the Circle K near Constitution Avenue and Powers Boulevard in Colorado Springs, the fire department said.

[Photo: Colorado Springs Fire Department]

FELON PLEADS GUILITY TO DEALING DOPE IN ROCKY FORD

Mario Rocha, 27, a felon from Rocky Ford, pleaded guilty to drug dealing and firearms charges, federal prosecutors said Tuesday.

The FBI seized 1169.3 grams of cocaine, 4742.3 grams of fentanyl (approximately 45,000 individual pills) and 1,236 grams of methamphetamine from his home.

Agents also found currency and 17 firearms - including a short-barreled shotgun and a short-barreled rifle. Sentencing is set for May 29.

[Photo: FBI]

FEDS TESTING NEDERLAND BLAZE DEBRIS, REPORT LIKELY THIS SUMMER

Debris from the Nederland shopping center inferno is at a lab in Beltsville, Maryland, for testing and a report is likely this summer, Nederland Fire said Tuesday.

The cause of the Oct. 9 blaze has yet to be determined. Nederland personnel have been invited to observe the tests at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. "The Caribou Village Shopping Center fire has deeply impacted Nederland and the surrounding community," the fire district said. "Determining its cause is vital so we can learn from the event, strengthen our collective understanding, and achieve a measure of closure. "The ATF is conducting a detailed and meticulous review to ensure the highest level of accuracy in its final report." The site of the 30,000-square foot shopping center is at 20 Lakeview Drive. [Photo: Nederland Fire]

COMMERCE CITY SHOP FIRE OUT, NO ONE HURT

Firefighters extinguished a workshop fire Tuesday near 113th Avenue and Nucla Street in Commerce City. "No injuries were reported," South Adams Fire said. "The fire was knocked out quickly." [Photo: South Adams Fire]

FBI SEEKS HELP SOLVING LITTLETON BOWLING ALLEY MURDERS

The FBI is appealing to the public for information on the murders of three people at a Littleton bowling alley - on the 24th anniversary of the crime.
Erin Golla, 27, Bobby Zajac, 24, and James Springer, 30, met a violent end at the AMF Broadway Bowling Alley on Jan. 27, 2002 - shot to death in a robbery at closing time. Their bodies were found by a friend of one of the victims. Golla and Spinger were employees. Zajac was a frequent customer.

"Someone has information about the killer," the FBI said Tuesday.

The suspect is a white male of muscular build with a bald shaved head standing at 6 feet and weighing 230 pounds. He was wearing a black trenchcoat and fled in a dark pickup truck. He should be considered armed and dangerous - even after 24 years. In 2021, police turned to genealogy-based DNA testing to analyze evidence retrieved from a lavatory.

If you have information, call the FBI at (303) 629-7171. [Photo: FBI]

HORSE WANDERING ALONG I-70 REUNITED WITH OWNER

A horse wandering near I-70 in Mesa County has been reunited with her family, the sheriff's office said Tuesday. Deputies on horseback were called to help corral "Apache."

[Photo: Mesa County Sheriff's Office]