HIT & RUN AUTO STRIKES PEDESTRIAN IN DENVER

A hit-and-run driver seriously injured a pedestrian at 40th and Harrison streets in Denver, police said Tuesday. No further information was released.

STATE PATROL WARNS ON CONSTRUCTION, SCHOOL ZONES

The Colorado State Patrol cited 1,326 motorists for speeding in construction or school zones last year. "A driver cannot assume that no one will be present," Colonel Matthew C. Packard, state patrol chief, said. "Follow the law because people’s lives depend on you.”

INJURED SKIERS SAVED BY CHOPPER IN DARING RESCUE

A helicopter rescued two seriously injured backcountry skiers who were attempting to reach the Goodwin Greene Hut in high winds and sub-zero temperatures, Mountain Rescue Aspen said Monday. Five other skiers reached the hut and called for help. The temperature was minus 22 degrees F. Rescue officials provided this account of Sunday night's drama in Pitkin County: "After multiple attempts due to weather a CareFlight Paramedic and Mountain Rescue Paramedic were inserted in snowy conditions on the ridge. They were able to find the two hypothermic subjects, one non-responsive and in critical condition, and the second, who was also hypothermic. "Initial care was provided and both patients were loaded into the helicopter and transferred to Aspen Valley Health. CareFlight immediately went back to the location to pick up the MRA member who was left behind due to space limitations in the aircraft." Rescuers returned to their base early Monday.

SUSPECT SHOT BY EDGEWATER COP DIES

A gunman shot by an Edgewater police officer has died, officials said Monday.

Barry Michael Sullivan, 48, pulled a gun and shot at the officer after a traffic accident. The officer wasn't hit.

Saturday's shooting occurred in the vicinity of West 32nd Avenue and Pierce Avenue in Wheat Ridge. The Edgewater officer was following the auto carrying Sullivan as a passenger. The driver was arrested.

SUSPECT SURRENDERED IN THORNTON SHOOTING, COPS REVEAL

Kody Jones, 41, has been arrested as a suspect in a shooting on East 98th Avenue in Thornton, police said Monday. "Officers responded to the area after receiving reports of shots heard and a request for medical assistance" on Sunday, officials said. "Officers observed evidence indicating a residence had been struck by gunfire." The victim was transported to hospital. The suspect and victim were "known to each other," officials said. "The suspect contacted law enforcement and reported that he had shot someone," officials said. "Officers located and took the suspect into custody without incident. He was arrested and transported to the Adams County Jail."

WINDS FAN HOUSE FIRE IN BOULDER COUNTY

UPDATE

Fire destroyed a home Monday in rural Boulder County, the Allenspark Fire Protection District said.

No injuries were reported. The fire occurred along Highway 7. The cause was under investigation. The Boulder County Sheriff's Office said: "High winds in the area contributed to rapid fire spread." "Five fire tenders were used to transport water to the scene to support fire suppression efforts," the sheriff's office said. "Spot fires were identified around the perimeter of the incident, but fire crews were able to quickly contain and extinguish them." The response also included Lefthand Fire Protection District, Glen Haven Area Volunteer Fire Department, Boulder Emergency Squad, Estes Valley Fire Protection District and Estes Park Health Paramedics.  [Photo: Allenspark Fire Protection District]

BALD EAGLE RECOVERING FROM SHOOTING IN NORTHGLENN

A bald eagle - symbol of American freedom - is on the mend after a shooting in Northglenn, Colorado Parks and Wildlife said Monday.

"X-rays showed the eagle had been shot in the wing with a ball bearing," officials said. "The eagle underwent surgery to remove the metal projectile, and it is recovering at the rehabilitation facility." 

Rangers and animal wardens rescued the eagle from the icy shoreline at Croke Reservoir, near West 104th Avenue and Huron Street on Jan. 12. There was no word on suspects.

Bald eagles are a federally and state protected species.

If you have information, call Operation Game Thief 1-877-265-6648. 

[Photos: Colorado Parks and Wildlife]

AVOCADO TREE FIRE SPREADS TO HOME IN ERIE

An Avocado tree surrounded by a warming apparatus burst into flames Sunday night and spread to the exterior of a home in Erie, Mountain View Fire said.

"Homeowners and neighbors helped limit the spread of the flames because they started dousing the fire with buckets of water," officials said. "Fire crews finished extinguishing the fire before the flames reached the interior of the home." No injuries were reported at the fire on Daily Drive.

[Photo: Mountain View Fire]

SPRINKLERS AVERT FIRE DISASTER, STOP FLAMES AT ASSISTED LIVING CENTER

Sprinklers extinguished a nighttime fire at Northglenn Heights Assisted Living, North Metro Fire said Monday.

"The sprinkler stopped the fire in the room of origin, protecting residents and staff and limiting damage," officials said. "A true sprinkler save."

The fire occurred Jan. 17. North Metro reported no injuries.

[Photo: North Metro Fire]

DRIVER TRAPPED IN MANGLED DUMP TRUCK

In Berthoud, firefighters freed a truck driver from the twisted remains of a dump truck on County Line Road. The response "required a technical motor vehicle extrication to rescue the driver," officials said. It happened Thursday.

[Photo: Chief Romero, Berthoud Fire]

RODEO COWBOY INJURED BY HORSE NAMED 'HILLBILLY HAVOC'

Coleman Shallbetter, 21, a saddle bronc rider from Gunnison, was thrown from a horse and stepped on during the final weekend of the National Western Stock Show, CBS Denver reports.

Shallbetter suffered multiple broken ribs Friday.

The horse, Hillbilly Havoc, is "a good horse," Shallbetter told CBS Colorado from his hospital bed on Sunday. "She kind of got me with the front feet ... but the back feet is what did it."

SHE'S 8 NOW! BIRTHDAY PARTY FOR DENVER ZOO'S 'WINNIE'

The Denver Zoo threw a birthday party for "Winnie" - the loveable southern tamandua - who turned 8 on Sunday. She suffered the loss of a premature pup last month. "The past few weeks have been a tender time for Winnie and her care team," zoo officials said. "Winnie has been receiving close attention and compassionate care." "She’s doing well with the support of her Animal Care Specialists," the officials reported on social media. [Photos: Denver Zoo]

HOUSE FIRE IN PUEBLO AS COLD GRIPS CITY

Fire swept a home on the outskirts of downtown Pueblo during the weekend snow. No serious injuries were reported by the fire department.

[Photo: Pueblo Fire Department]

SNOW FLATFOOTS FLATIRON FLYER

The RTD transit authority dispatched a large tow truck to free a Flatiron Flyer bus that skidded off the road in Boulder Canyon during Sunday's snow. No one was injured in the mishap, the Boulder County Sheriff's Office said.

[Photo: Boulder County Sheriff's Office]

COPS MAKE ARREST IN SHOOTING IN THORNTON

Police arrested a suspect Sunday in a shooting in the 1400-block of East 98th Avenue in Thornton. The victim was transported to hospital. Police released no further information on the shooting.

SCOOTER HITS PERSON IN DOWNTOWN DENVER

A standup scooter hit and seriously injured a person Sunday night in downtown Denver, police said.

The scooter rider stayed on the scene - in the vicinity of 15th and Stout streets - and the injured pedestrian was transported to hospital.

Police released no further information on the accident.

GREELEY FIREFIGHTERS RESCUE FAMILY'S DOG

Firefighters rescued a family's dog from a house fire in Greeley and the human occupants escaped without injury, the fire department said Sunday.

The canine "did not sustain any significant smoke inhalation," officials said. The fire broke out in the attic of the home near Highway 34 and 107th Avenue. Fire crews were hampered by limited water supply in the neighborhood and requested assistance from Windsor-Severance Fire and Front Range Fire. [Photo: Greeley Fire Department]

WRONG WAY DRIVER HURTS DEPUTY IN PATROL CAR

A deputy sheriff was injured when a driver traveling the wrong way crashed into a patrol car in Fremont County. The motorist was also hurt. Officials described the injuries as minor. The accident occurred early Sunday on Highway 50 in Penrose. [Photo: Freemont County Sheriff's Office]

NEW YORK TRUCKER CHARGED WITH VEHICULAR HOMICIDE IN LARIMER COUNTY

Semi-truck driver David Perez Carillo, 24, of New York, has been charged with vehicular homicide in a fiery head-on crash in Larimer County, the Colorado State Patrol said Sunday.

The suspect's Freightliner veered into oncoming traffic and collided with a Toyota Corolla on Highway 287 near West County Road 54E early Saturday, the patrol said.

"Preliminary investigation indicates the semi was traveling northbound in the southbound lanes," the patrol said. "Both vehicles caught fire as a result of the crash. The driver of the Toyota was extricated from the vehicle, and an adult passenger in that same vehicle was trapped inside."

The passenger, a man age 21, was pronounced dead at the accident scene. The driver, a woman age 20, was seriously injured. "The exact cause of the crash is still yet to be determined," the patrol said. Highway 287 was closed for more than 7 hours.

BEYOND CELL PHONE CALL OF DUTY IN LAFAYETTE

This is dedication. Police in Lafayette received an unusual call: Could "we could provide assistance retrieving a cell phone that fell into a storm drain off Casper Drive," the department reports. "Officer Casillas arrived and jumped right in." [Photo: Lafayette Police Department]

FIREFIGHTERS RESCUE PERSON TRAPPED IN BLAZE IN AURORA

UPDATE

Firefighters made a daring rescue of a person trapped inside a blazing apartment early Sunday in Aurora.

Officials provided this account of the fire in the 14000-block of East Mississippi Place that roasted the apartment's kitchen, living room and hallway: "Two Ladder 8 firefighters went through the front door and the other two Ladder 8 firefighters went through a bedroom window to search the residence for the trapped party. "Crews were dealing with high heat and low visibility inside the unit due to the fire. The victim was immediately located and removed from the unit through the same bedroom window used by the Ladder 8 firefighters. "The victim was handed off to Engine 8, who had assumed medical, and was transported emergent to a local hospital ... There was a report of a second victim still inside, but none were located."
[Photos: Aurora Fire Rescue]

 

OUR LITTLE ITALY: WE LOVE YOU, NORTH DENVER!

By Vinny Del Giudice
Editor, Daily Sketch

The tourism industry thrives on nostalgia trips to the old country for Italian-Americans eager to learn about their ancestors. Good. Your correspondent places an emphasis on the term "nostalgia" because the Italy his grandparents departed a century ago didn't look much like that depicted in today's tourism ads.

It was generally poor, somewhat malnourished in the poverty-stricken south and in disarray - and Mussolini was the on-deck batter.

Like millions others, my grandparents - Del Giudice, Strobino, Salerno and Fantone - wanted to get the heck out of Italy to gift future generations with American citizenship.

Destination Ellis Island and then Paterson, New Jersey - and beyond.

For others, Colorado. Places like North Denver, Pueblo, Weldona and Trinidad. 

And it was a generally challenging mission. (At least one relative, dear old Uncle Eligio Strobino, was an anarchist in the Sacco and Vanzetti era - and the Feds had their eye on him - but seeing the light he followed the greenback and became a successful real estate investor in California.)

Happily, most all of us - Italian-Americans nationwide - have fulfilled their grandparents (etc.) dreams of success in a variety of fields (LEGITMATE!) and we should really put the spotlight on that FIRST. The Ellis Island bunch.

La Via Vecchia is La Via Vecchia. The "Old Street."

Fellow Italian-Americans: We made it! Bravo "Little Italy - North Denver!"

[Photo: Wikipedia]

AVALANCHE ALERT FOR COLORADO

The National Park Service warned of "considerable" avalanche risk above tree line Saturday in Rocky Mountain National Park. The Colorado Avalanche Center, meantime, issued a special Avalanche Advisory through Sunday.

ARREST IN DENVER SHOOTING ON WEST WARNER PLACE

UPDATE Tarika Collin, 56, was arrested as a suspect in a shooting in the 200-block of West Warner Place in Denver, police said Saturday. One person was transported to hospital. No other details were released. Editor's Note: Police now say the shooting occurred on West Warner Place. Police initially said Warren.

NO ONE HURT IN LAMAR BLAZE

Raging flames put firefighters to work in Lamar on Friday night. No one was injured the blaze in a mobile home on South 12th Street. Prowers Rural Fire provided reinforcements.

[Photo: Lamar Fire & Emergency Services]

SKIER CRASHES INTO TREE, DIES AT COPPER MOUNTAIN

A skier crashed into a tree and died at Copper Mountain Resort, the Summit County Sheriff's Office said. The tragedy occurred on American Flyer, an intermediate run. The man hit the tree "with considerable force" Friday, officials said.

EDGEWATER COP SHOT MAN WHO PULLED GUN, OPENED FIRE

UPDATE

An Edgewater police officer shot a man who emerged from a wrecked GMC Yukon, pulled a gun and opened fire Saturday, police said.

The man, who was a passenger in the vehicle, was taken to a hospital in critical condition. He was shot at least once.

The shooting occurred after the Yukon collided with a Honda and crashed into a garage over the city line with Wheat Ridge. The Yukon driver, a woman, sustained crash injuries. The Honda driver was also hurt.

The Edgewater officer had been following the Yukon, not chasing it. The scene of the shooting was in the vicinity of West 32nd Avenue and Pierce Avenue.

TRUE CRIME: READY TO FIGHT FOR GREECE, EXTRADICTED TO DENVER

Seized by the war spirit, Gustave Koslopulos, formerly of Denver, sold his belongings to return home with other patriotic Greeks to fight against Turkey in 1912. 

Instead, he was arrested boarding a train with his comrades in Milwaukee - where he lived under an alias - and returned to Denver at the request of the governor as a suspect in the shooting death of Augusta Robinson at 2046 Arapahoe St.

At first the shooting, on May 6, 1912, was thought to have been an accident, but the woman's daughter told an inquest that a man of Greek descent threatened her mother if she were “untrue to him.’’ Robinson had just remarried, the Rocky Mountain News reported in its Nov. 2, 1912, edition.

A search of the Colorado Historic Newspapers website found no further reports on the odd shooting case, however, a man bearing that name - Gustave Koslopulos - died in March 1933 and was buried back in Wisconsin at the Wildwood Cemetery in Sheboygan, according to the Find a Grave website.

COPS ARREST ARMED HIT & RUN SUSPECT WHO LEFT CHILD IN ROAD

Police arrested a woman with a gun who barged into a home after a fleeing a hit-and-run crash, abandoning her child in the road and climbing fence.

Simca Sparks, 32, is accused of running a red light at 29 Road and Riverside Parkway in Grand Junction and crashing into a bridge abutment at Riverside Parkway and 28 Road on Friday.

Police said: "Officers arrived in the area and quickly located Sparks on Perry Drive, east of 28 Road. During the encounter, Sparks left the juvenile in the roadway, climbed a fence, and forcibly entered a nearby residence through a window. Officers safely took custody of the juvenile.

"An individual inside the residence was able to exit through the front door, after which Sparks barricaded herself inside the home. Officers received permission to enter the residence and located Sparks in a bedroom, where she was found to be in possession of a handgun."

The woman was booked on a variety of charges including burglary, child abuse, possession of a gun by an ex-offender and DUI. She was locked up at the Mesa County Detention Facility.

[Photo: Grand Junction Police Department]

FOUL PLAY SUSPECTED IN DISAPPEARANCE OF MANITOU SPRINGS WOMAN

Foul play is suspected in the disappearance of Margaret Woolsey, 57, of Manitou Springs, last seen on Aug. 3 - but not reported missing until late September.

"I just feel in my gut that something is wrong," her sister, April Rossetti, told KRDO. "Her dog was left behind ... Her dog is like her child. She probably loves the dog more than anybody."

Quoted by News5, Manitou Springs Police Detective Amanda Strider said: “Everyone I’ve interviewed at this point has said she would never leave her dogs.”

The Colorado Bureau of Investigation said Woolsey - who also goes by the name of Margaret Mitchum - stands 5-foot-10, with a thin build, brown hair and brown eyes. She was last seen near Bradley Road and Wageman Drive.

[Photo: CBI]

CHILLING OUT: LOST DOG RESCUED FROM STORM DRAIN

In Colorado Springs, firefighters from Truck Company 8 and animal control personnel rescued a dog taking refuge from the elements inside a storm drain, officials said Friday.

[Photos: Colorado Springs Fire Department]

ACE OF SPADES: ICE AGENTS ACCUSED OF DEALING 'DEATH CARDS' IN EAGLE COUNTY

Angry civil rights workers are accusing ICE agents in Colorado of engaging in a type of psychological warfare common during the Vietnam War - dealing "Death Cards" to intimidate people.

In a statement on its website, the group Voces Unidas said playing cards - embossed with the address of the ICE field office in Aurora - were tucked inside autos left behind by Latino detainees in Eagle County for their families to find.

ICE officials condemned the practice, according to a statement issued to The Denver Post.

In Vietnam, American GIs would drop death cards - typically the Ace of Spades, as pictured below - on bodies of Viet Cong and North Vietnamese troops, as depicted in a combat scene in the movie classic "Apocalypse Now."

[Photos: Voces Unidas, psywarrrior.com]

SCHOOL DISTRICT IN PERIL, EYES CUTTING JOBS

A public school district covering eastern Colorado Springs and parts of El Paso County is facing a financial crisis. District 49 is grappling with rising costs and a rollback of state funding that could soon lead to deep cuts - including jobs, News 5 reports.

CBI CONFIRMS HUNTER S. THOMPSON KILLED SELF, IDOLIZED HEMINGWAY WHO DID SAME

UPDATE

The Colorado Bureau of Investigation completed its case review of the death of Gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson and "affirmed the original determination of suicide," officials said Friday.

Thompson's widow asked the state to review the case, questioning the original finding. She alleged Thompson’s son and daughter-in-law may have tampered with the scene of his death to make it look like a suicide, the New York Times said Sunday. However, his son, Juan, told the Times: "I do not know why she raised this."

Thompson shot himself in the head at his home - Owl Farm, in Woody Creek, Pitkin County - on Feb. 20, 2005.

"Interviews confirmed that Thompson suffered from significant depression and chronic pain," CBI said. "The coroner, Dr. Steven Ayers, noted Thompson’s physical and mental decline, his reported suicidal ideations, and his idolization of author Ernest Hemingway, who also died by suicide. All speculative theories could not be substantiated."

Following his death, a friend lamented Thompson had told him years before that "he would feel real trapped if he didn't know that he could commit suicide at any moment. I don't know if that is brave or stupid or what, but it was inevitable.”

If you or someone you know is struggling, help is available. Dial 988 - the National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

DANGER! LEAKING 100-POUND PROPANE TANK

Firefighters flared propane from a leaking 100-pound tank in Colorado Springs. The tank was found at the intersection of Airport Road and Powers Boulevard, officials said Friday. No injuries were reported. [Photo: Colorado Springs Fire Department]

PEDESTRIAN KILLED FRIDAY IN WESTMINSTER

A pedestrian was killed Friday at Federal Boulevard and 96th Avenue in Westminster. "The parties involved stayed on scene and are cooperating with the investigation," police said. [Photo: Westminster Police Department]

 

STEALS 1 CASE OF BEER, CARJACKS 2 AUTOS, GOES TO PRISON FOR 144 MONTHS

A hair-pulling, gun-toting thief was sentenced to 144 months in federal prison for stealing a case of beer and carjacking two autos during a frenzied flight - punctuated by a police chase into downtown Denver.

Jason Cisneros, 34, of Denver, was arrested at 14th and Blake streets on March 1, 2025, prosecutors said Thursday. "This individual didn’t learn from a prior state prison sentence, and now he will serve federal time," FBI Agent Marvin Massey said. No injuries were reported.

Prosectors provided this account: "Cisneros stole a case of beer from a Denver area convenience store. When the store manager confronted him outside of the store, Cisneros showed the manager a 9mm firearm in his waistband and sped away from the scene.

"A short time later, Cisneros’ car broke down. The defendant got out of his stalled car and carjacked a vehicle from a woman who was loading her grandchildren into the car at the time. 

"Cisneros took the car and sped away from that scene, but a short time later ran a red light and hit another car that contained two adults and three children. The defendant fled that scene on foot. He then approached a parked vehicle with his firearm brandished and opened a third victim’s driver door, pulled her out by her hair, and fled in that vehicle."

Police pursued Cisneros into downtown and captured him. There was no word on whether he still had the case of beer in his possession.

 

DENVER BANK ROBBERY SUSPECT WROTE '5-STAR' BOOK ABOUT HIS LIFE AS BANK ROBBER

The suspect in a local bank robbery penned a memoir called "The Life Of An Outlaw" - detailing his life as a bank robber.

Author Charles Martinez, 48, who did time in federal prison, is accused of doing it again at a U.S. Bank branch at Colorado Boulevard and East 7th Avenue in Denver on Jan 5. No one was injured, according to police. No weapon was seen.

Martinez, whose last known address was in Arvada, pleaded guilty to a series of bank heists a quarter century ago.

His book - published in 2019 - has garnered five stars from readers on Amazon.com, which describes it as "the true story of a bank robber paying his debt to society in some of the most ruthless and bloody prisons the American Justice system has to offer."
The book currently sells for $15 on Amazon. [Photo: FBI, AbeBooks]

KILLED MAN IN CROSSWALK AT 100 MPH

Quoting an arrest affidavit, the Denver Post reports an SUV driver accused of killing a man in a crosswalk was speeding at an estimated 100 mph. The Jan. 2 hit-and-run tragedy occurred on North Kalamath Street near West 11th Avenue in Denver.

ACCUSED DRUKEN DRIVER RAMS TRUCK INTO HIGH SCHOOL, DOWN HALLWAY

UPDATE

An accused drunken driver rammed a truck through the front of University High School in Greeley on Thursday night and careened down a long corridor.

Damage was significant and the driver was arrested at the school at 6525 18th St. Police identified him as Eduardo Perez, 28.

"There were, fortunately, no injuries to any bystanders and all school activities were reported to have been over for the evening," police said. "This was an isolated incident." [Photos: Greeley Police Department]

FIRE IS OUT IN LONE TREE, NO INJURIES

Firefighters extinguished a blaze overnight at a commercial building at 9155 Park Meadows Drive in Lone Tree. There were no injuries, South Metro Fire said.

[Photos: South Metro Fire]

 

ARREST DUO IN DELIVERY TRUCK HIJACKING

In El Paso County, Dominic Ray Bryan, 31, and Zhane Molina, 26, were arrested as suspects in an armed hijacking of a delivery truck that injured the driver who was dragged for 50 feet by the fleeing vehicle. The crime occurred Jan. 7 on Sinton Avenue in Stratmoor Hills. Bryan and Molina were captured Jan. 12.

[Photos: El Paso County Sheriff's Office]

BOBCAT ON LOOSE IN ROXBOROUGH, COYOTE ATTACKS IN LAFAYETTE

UPDATE

This is a security camera view of a bobcat in the Douglas County community of Roxborough on Thursday morning. The frightening feline kept to itself, the sheriff's office said. It was a different story this week in Lafayette in Boulder County where police received reports of coyote attacks on two small dogs - on Shoshone Trail and on Hawk Ridge Road. "Although it is fairly rare, pets can sometimes look like prey to wildlife," Lafayette police caution. [Photo: Douglas County Sheriff's Office]