FRISCO, Colo. A 67-year-old man has been arrested in connection with a 1998 cold case in which a 16-year-old girl was attacked in a Frisco stairwell and sexually assaulted.

The Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) announced the arrest of Arnold Eugene Elisha on Friday. He faces charges of first-degree sexual assault, first-degree sexual assault with a deadly weapon, first-degree kidnapping and second-degree kidnapping. All are felonies.

This case began on Feb. 6, 1998, when Elisha allegedly attacked a 16-year-old girl in a stairwell at a condominium complex and sexually assaulted her. DNA was collected at the scene.

According to a Summit Daily News article from Feb. 12, 1998, the teen was from Kansas and was visiting a friend when she was attacked after using the condo's hot tub.

"According to witness reports to police, the suspect had been loitering around the hot tub area before the attack," the article reads.

She told police that the man's name may have been "Arthur."

The case remained unsolved for more than two decades.

Elisha was in court Friday for his first appearance. Fifth Judicial District Attorney Heidi McCollum told the courtroom that advances in DNA technology brought new leads forward and led to his identification as a suspect. Further testing of a sample of his DNA confirmed it was a match to the 1998 crime scene, she said.

A judge set his bond at $2.5 million cash or surety.

His next court appearance is scheduled for June 15.

DOUGLAS COUNTY, Colo. A youth hockey coach at South Suburban Sports Complex in Highlands Ranch has been arrested on charges of child sex crimes.

Rory Nathaniel Mushlin, 40, of Colorado Springs, is being held on suspicion of sexual assault on a child by one in a position of trust, unlawful electronic sexual communication (by a person in a position of trust), obscenity, and internet sexual exploitation of a child.

The Douglas County Sheriff's Office announced the arrest on Friday afternoon. Mushlin was taken into custody without incident on Thursday.

Mushlin has coached a youth hockey team at the South Suburban Sports Complex since January 2023. The team that he coached also practiced at the Parker Field House and the Family Sports Center in Arapahoe County, the sheriff's office said.

His arrest came after authorities received a tip about him engaging in inappropriate behavior with minors, the sheriff's office said.

Investigators have identified multiple underage victims. Because of Mushlin's position as a coach, they are asking anybody who may have been victimized by him, or anybody with information about the case, to contact Det. Clay at sclay@dcsheriff.net.

"Because of the suspect's coaching position and regular interaction with youth sports programs, investigators are working to ensure all potential victims are identified and provided with support," the sheriff's office said.

Mushlin's bond was set at $75,000.

This remains an open and active investigation, so no other details were available as of publishing time.

DENVER Denver Broncos' outside linebacker Jonathon Cooper, as well as his girlfriend, have been arrested on charges of domestic violence and criminal mischief.

The 28-year-old from Ohio State was arrested by officers with the Parker Police Department late Thursday and booked into the Douglas County detention facility around 2:30 a.m. Friday, according to jail records. He is being held on suspicion of two counts of domestic violence and one count of criminal mischief. All three are misdemeanors.

Watch Denver7's latest breaking report on this development in the story below.

According to an arrest affidavit Denver7 obtained, police responded to the 9500 block of S. Twenty Mile Road in Parker and contacted Cooper and his girlfriend. The document reads that they have been in a relationship on and off for about four years. They were inside Cooper's apartment when his girlfriend confronted him with cheating allegations, the affidavit reads.

She told authorities she grabbed his phone from his hands and threw it across the living room, damaging the case and wall. She picked the phone off the ground and "was able to go through his phone and observed content out of her own curiosity for closure or clarity," the affidavit reads. Cooper wanted his phone back.

At some point, they got into a physical struggle near the front door of the apartment. Cooper told authorities he grabbed her upper arms and got his phone, but she kept trying to take it back, the document reads.

"Jonathan told (the officer) that he braced his neck against (her) neck to prevent her from getting his phone," the affidavit reads. "As of this report, there is no probable cause for harassment or assault charges given conflicting statements and lack of specific physical evidence."

Cooper told authorities that he picked up her phone and said if she did not leave the apartment, he would break her phone.

"Jonathan admitted that (his girlfriend) did not leave and he bit (her) phone, causing disabling damage," the affidavit reads. "I observed (her) iPhone 17, valued at approximately $830, to have a cracked screen. (Her) statements corroborated this portion of the incident."

Both of them were arrested on misdemeanor charges of domestic violence and criminal mischief. Cooper was brought to the jail. The girlfriend was transported to Anschutz Hospital for a forensic nurse exam.

When Denver7 contacted the Broncos for a statement about this incident, they said: "We are aware of the matter and are gathering more information."

As a seventh-round draft pick in 2021, Cooper is entering his sixth season with the Broncos, the Associated Press reports. He has started every game since 2023 and has 31 1/2 career sacks, including eight last season when he also registered a sack in the playoffs. He had a career-best 10 1/2 sacks in 2024 and late that season signed a four-year, $54 million contract extension, the AP reports.

According to court documents, he has a court hearing on June 8.

JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. A man accused of tampering with the body of Jax Gratton, a Denver hairstylist who was found dead two months after she was reported missing in April of last year, pleaded not guilty in Jefferson County court Friday.

Brandon David Mumma, 44, was charged with one count of tampering with a deceased human body and one count of tampering with evidence following a March 11 indictment. Prosecutors believe Mumma was the last person who was with Gratton before her death. They further allege he removed her body, her personal belongings and other evidence of her death to avoid detection by investigators.

Because Mumma had not been compliant with his pretrial services, a judge issued a warrant for his arrest and set a new $125,000 cash bond. He was arrested by Lakewood police on that warrant Thursday. An arraignment scheduled for later that day was pushed to Friday morning due to his "behavior issues" at the courthouse.

During Friday's hearing, Mumma's defense attorneys said the non-compliance was due to a miscommunication with pretrial services.

Mumma then pleaded not guilty and will remain in custody pending future court proceedings.

Gratton, 34, was last seen on the evening of April 15, 2025. Her roommate reported her missing and in the days after her disappearance, her loved ones rallied to search for her across the metro area.

Mummas indictment shows that Gratton and Mumma entered his office at 9655 W. Colfax Avenue at 10:41 p.m. on April 15, 2025, before a second man arrived about an hour-and-a-half later. That man, who has been cooperative with police and is not believed to have been criminally involved in this case, then left the unit with Mumma at 1:43 a.m. on April 16. At that point, Gratton was alone and asleep under the influence of drugs, according to prosecutors.

A toxicology report later confirmed the presence of methamphetamine, THC, citalopram, and trazodone in her system. Findings showed that because so much time had passed, coroners were unable to conclude a cause of death. A drug overdose could also not be proven or ruled out, which led the coroner to rule Grattons cause and manner of death as undetermined.

Prosecutors believe Mumma tampered with evidence in this case, as Gratton's phone last pinged in the early hours of April 16 at that office location.

Video surveillance later confirmed nobody went in or out of the office where Gratton is believed to have spent the night until Mumma returned at 5:55 a.m. the following day. Security cameras showed he stayed inside the office for about an hour before he left to move his car and grab trash bags, which he threw into a dumpster before leaving the area.

About six weeks after she went missing, police interviewed Mumma, who told them he knew Gratton and that they were romantically involved. He said he picked her up on April 15 before driving to his office, and also alleged Gratton was under the influence of gamma-hydroxybutyrate, or GHB, and took too much, passed out and started snoring before making gurgling noises.

At one point, he claimed Gratton vomited, and that he and the other man who was with them, rolled her on her side before they left the office.

Mumma told police he didn't return until the following morning and said that when he walked into the office, Gratton was no longer there, but that her bag and shoes were. He said he texted her about her leftover items and later put them in his car.

During the interview with police, Mumma said he should have called 911 when Gratton vomited. He also said he knew she was missing at that point, and that he had not contacted police to share any information, according to the indictment.

By June 6, police in Lakewood announced that they were investigating a suspicious death after a bystander had discovered a body in a narrow space that is inaccessible to the public near Mummas office.

A day later, Grattons mother, Cherilynne Gratton-Camis, announced on Facebook that the body found in that narrow space was her daughter's. She said a detective was able to identify the body by her tattoos. At that point, Gratton had been missing for about two months.

Lakewood police later ruled Gratton's death as suspicious, which spurred those close to her to call for an independent oversight task force to look into the handling of her death investigation.

Mumma's next court date is Tuesday, June 9 at 9 a.m.

Adam Bauserman, the man accused of hitting three people walking on a sidewalk in Highlands Ranch earlier this week, appeared from jail in court Friday morning.

Bauserman was officially charged with nine counts, including vehicular assault, vehicular homicide, reckless driving and driving under the influence of alcohol. His next court appearance is set for next Friday, June 12 at 9 a.m.

The crash happened Monday morning off Wildcat Reserve Parkway, not far from Mountain Vista High School. A woman died at the scene, while a man and another woman were taken to the hospital with serious injuries.

The Douglas County Sheriff's Office (DCSO) said witnesses told investigators the driver seemed to intentionally hit the victims. Officials said the driver did not know them. Investigators previously said they did not believe Bauserman was speeding when he hit the people on the sidewalk, but said they needed more time to confirm how fast his car was going.

The crash is one of many in the area that neighbors said safety is a concern and they want to see changes to prevent similar incidents.

Angela Munger, who has lived in the area for more than 20 years, said the severity of crashes in the area is increasing.

"It's just drivers not paying attention. Not wanting to slow their life enough to realize that we all have places to go, we all have places to be," Munger said.

Paulina Ficher was sitting alongside Munger at Dad Clark Park, just minutes from the scene of Monday's fatal crash, when Denver7 talked to them. Ficher said she avoids Wildcat Reserve Parkway whenever she can because she does not feel there are enough safety precautions in place.

"I think if they just have the police you know coming and you know around the neighborhoods and stuff like that, just to make sure to you know enforce the speed limit, enforce the laws," Ficher said.

Denver7 reached out to law enforcement about the frequency of crashes in the area. The Douglas County Sheriff's Office said the roadway has a history of speed-related concerns but did not answer questions about what they are doing to hold drivers accountable.

An affidavit paints a bleak picture of the time leading up to a teens alcohol-related death, with the teen repeatedly expressing concerns she would die and her mother repeatedly expressing concerns that she would go to jail.

According to the document filed in Jefferson County district court, the teen frequently told her mom, who has now been charged with second-degree murder, that she was scared. The teen was found dead on her bathroom floor of an Arvada residence March 9, and her mother, Gretchen Ryan, was charged with murder in May.

"I can't do this. I'm so upset.... I feel like I killed her, Ryan told detectives after her daughter was found dead, according to the affidavit.

The teen's autopsy showed she had an "abnormally fatty liver" for someone her age, and the coroner found that her death was caused by aspiration pneumonia "directly related" to chronic alcohol use, the court filing states.

The teen and her mom talked about alcohol almost daily, with Ryan ordering alcohol for the two of them and concealing it from the teen's father, according to the affidavit and a media release from the district attorney's office. The teen would often beg for Ryan to bring her alcohol, saying she couldnt get up to get it herself, and that her whole body hurt, the court filing shows.

The texts included in the affidavit referenced the teen wearing an adult diaper and also repeatedly referenced the teen vomiting blood, with Ryan saying it was a bad sign.

Just days before the 16-year-olds death she texted her mom, If you're going to do this to me you need to take me to a hospital, according to the document.

Im gonna die, the teen wrote in a March 4 text included in the affidavit.

No you arent, Ryan replied, according to the filing.

A series of texts from Ryan to the teen included in the court documents show Ryan saying was going to take alcohol away, but nothing in the affidavit indicates she did. On multiple occasions, Ryan said she was going to jail.

Im committing child abuse and murder, a January text included in the affidavit reads. And I will go to prison. So we have to do something it is really bad.

Ryan also at times told the teen she needed rehab.

If you can't get up to pee, get food or drink and puke blood we aren't going to make it.... We need help

"This isn't working. I'm going to lose you, she wrote in texts included in the affidavit.

None of the information in the affidavit indicates the teen ever went to rehab or got help.

"I don't think she wants to get me help which is what really scares me ... I'm gonna die," the teen wrote in a March 3 text to a friend included in the filing.

In the texts to the friend recovered from the teen's iPad included in the affidavit, the teen also said, "me and her have been fighting really bad recently and it gets physical... she could go to prison for 15 years."

When detectives first questioned Ryan in the wake of the death, she said she didnt know if the teen had been getting into her stuff, but then eventually admitted she gave the teen alcohol, per the filing. She repeatedly told them she herself drank a lot, too.

More than 170 alcohol bottles were found in the teen's bedroom, according to the affidavit.

At one point, Ryan told detectives she deserved to go to jail, the court document states.

Ryan told detectives the teen had a seizure the night before she was found dead in the bathroom, according to the document. Ryan told detectives the teen had a seizure in the past, and when she was taken to the hospital, a doctor told them it was "normal" for teenage girls.

Medical records included in the affidavit were redacted.

According to Ryan, the teen woke up from the seizure on the night of March 8 and was vomiting, but Ryan believed she was "OK," she told detectives, according to the affidavit.

At 10:56 p.m., Ryan sent a text asking whether the 16-year-old was OK, the court document states. According to the filing, the detective asked Ryan why she didnt get up to check on her daughter and Ryan said she was scared I was gonna find her really sick.

And so I kind of buried my head in the sand and I went back to bed. Which was stupid, she told the detective, according to the filing.

911 was not called until around 8 a.m. the next morning, according to a press release from the DA's office.

Upon Ryan signing a form consenting to a full search of her phone, she reportedly said she was going to jail, according to the filing.

When the detective asked why, according to the affidavit, Ryan said: Because you're gonna see it and be like, what did you do?"

The Colorado Court of Appeals reversed the homicide convictions of two former Aurora paramedics in the 2019 death of Elijah McClain, ruling Thursday that the case should be retried in district court.

The court ruled that former Aurora paramedic Peter Cichuniec's 2023 conviction on the charge of criminally negligent homicide must be reversed and sent back to a lower court for a possible retrial. His conviction on a charge of second-degree assault by unlawful administration of drugs for which he was sentenced to four years probation in September 2024 remains in place.

The appeals court also reversed the homicide conviction of former Aurora paramedic Jeremy Cooper, ruling his case should also sent back to a lower court for a possible retrial. He was acquitted on the second-degree assault charge in 2023.

Cichuniec and Cooper were convicted in late December 2023 of criminally negligent homicide in the killing of McClain. The 23-year-old unarmed Black man died after Aurora police put him in a neck hold and Cooper injected him with too much of the sedative ketamine. Cichuniec was supervising Cooper when he injected the drug.

Cichuniec and Cooper would later separately appeal their convictions.

The appeals court agreed Thursday with Coopers appeal that the district court erred by refusing to clarify the standard of care applicable to the charge of criminally negligent homicide after the jury told the court they didn't know what standard to apply and asked for a definition.

"By telling the jurors to apply the 'common and ordinary meanings' of the words in the instruction, the court failed to shine any light on the issue and in fact misled the jurors as to the applicable standard of care: The proper standard wasnt that of a generic reasonable person but of a person in Coopers profession under the existing circumstances," the Cooper judgment reads.

Because the appeals court agreed with the Cooper analysis, Thursdays judgment reads there wasnt a basis for treating Cichuniec differently.

The two were tried on identical theories of guilt and the evidence against them was, while not identical, sufficiently similar that we cant conclude that the errors were harmless as to Cichuniec, the Cichuniec judgment reads.

WATCH: Both Aurora Fire paramedics on trial for the death of Elijah McClain took the stand in their defense in December 2023. Watch our report on their testimony from that day in the video below:

Cooper and Cichuniec along with three Aurora police officers were indicted by a grand jury in September 2021, more than two years after McClain died and about a year after his death garnered attention in the wake of George Floyd protests in the summer of 2020.

Former Aurora police officer Randy Roedema was found guilty of criminally negligent homicide and third-degree assault while former Aurora police officer Jason Rosenblatt was acquitted of all charges in a joint trial that lasted nearly a month. Nathan Woodyard, the third officer indicted in the case, was also acquitted of all charges following his trial.

WATCH: Sheneen McClain, Elijah McClain's mother, delivered an emotional victim impact testimony ahead of an officers' conviction in January 2024.

In response to Thursday's ruling, Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser defended his office's decision to send both cases to trial, saying in a statement to Denver7 that it was "the right thing to do for justice, for Elijah McClain, and for healing in the Aurora community."

Through a spokesperson, Weiser said his office will appeal Thursday's ruling.

Darcy Kofol, a former assistant district attorney in Colorado, also spoke with Denver7 about the ruling.

"I commend the court of appeals for their very thorough and insightful ruling," Kofol said.

Kofol explained what the reversal means going forward.

"What came back was that the jury instruction was wrong, and whether a jury will find them guilty again of the criminal negligent charges with the new instruction or not will be up to a new jury if it does go to a retrial," Kofol said.

As for what is next, Kofol says the clock is ticking for Wesier's office.

"They can file a certain position in the Supreme Court, that's due in 42 days if no rehearing is granted, and then again, if no rehearing or cert petition is granted, the case will be remanded back to the district court," Kofol explained.

Denver7 reached out to attorneys for both Cichuniec and Cooper about the decision and next steps. Neither responded.

News of Thursday's ruling quickly reached advocates, who were on the frontlines trying to seek justice since McClain encountered police in August 2019.

In a statement Thursday, the Epitome of Black Excellence and Partnership, a nonprofit organization the decision by state court "will reverberate far beyond a courtroom."

"The reversal of convictions connected to the death of Elijah McClain is not merely a legal development. For Black communities across Colorado and throughout this nation, it is the reopening of a wound that has never fully healed," a spokesperson for the organization wrote. "It is a reminder that even when evidence is seen, even when harm is acknowledged, even when the world bears witness to tragedy, accountability remains painfully fragile."

WATCH: Community leaders respond to Thursday's ruling

MiDian Shofner, its CEO, said Thursday's ruling is disappointing and "one of the most divisive judicial decisions our state has experienced in recent memory because it strikes at the heart of a question that Colorado continues to struggle to answer. When a Black life is taken under circumstances that shock the conscience of the public, what does accountability truly mean?"

Shofner also said she expected Weiser to fight the decision fiercely.

"What will you do in this case, because we expect that you defend this all the way through, and if you do not, you are complicit in the horror of asking this family to relive this trauma," Shofner said.

Shofner also reflected on what the reversal means for McClain's family.

"When you think about the story of Elijah McClain's death post the conviction, it tells a very horrific story," Shofner said. "What exactly will be presented to a jury to make a different decision? We have the facts, we have the evidence. Sheneen McLain doesn't have her son."

A spokesperson for the organization said they had already gotten in contact with the McClain family and would be holding a community news conference in response to the ruling on Friday at 10 a.m.

A woman has been charged with murder after her 16-year-old died due to complications related to chronic alcohol use.

Gretchen Leanne Ryan, 55, was charged with second-degree murder May 15 after investigators found evidence her daughter "had been supplied with alcohol for a prolonged period" and experienced significant health issues leading up to her death in March, according to a release from the First Judicial District attorneys office.

Arvada police and fire responded to the home in the 6400 block of West 85th Avenue on March 9, and the teen was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the release.

Preliminary autopsy finding showed she had "an abnormally fatty liver" for someone her age, which experts believed could indicate "extensive and prolonged" alcohol use.

Digital evidence showed that Ryan and her daughter frequently consumed alcohol and cannabis together and discussed alcohol "on an almost daily basis" beginning in September 2025, according to the release. Investigators said that Ryan helped arrange alcohol deliveries to the home and helped hide the consumption from the teen's father.

Detectives found 173 empty alcohol bottles under the bed and in the closet during a search of the teen's room, according to the release.

Investigators said she had suffered from significant alcohol-related health problems leading up to her death, including "vomiting blood, difficulty eating, difficulty walking, and the use of diapers," which were documented in her communications with Ryan, according to the release.

"Investigators also say the communications show the victim repeatedly expressed fears that she was going to die and sought help from Ryan," the release said.

The teen had been unenrolled from public high school to attend online school in April 2025, and had only completed one online semester by the time of her death, according to officials. She had also stopped participating in "activities outside the home for several months," the release said.

The teen and her mother exchanged messages the night before the her death about being sick, according to the release, with the last outgoing message from the teen sent just after 10 p.m. on March 8, according to the DA's office. Messages from Ryan then went unanswered, and 911 wasn't called until after 8 a.m. the next morning, the release states.

A Jefferson County forensic pathologist determined her cause of death was aspiration pneumonia related to chronic alcohol use, the DA's office said.

Ryan is being held in the Jefferson County Jail on $500,000 cash-only bond. She is scheduled for a preliminary hearing June 17.

BOULDER, Colo. The driver convicted of killing teenage cyclist Magnus White, 17, pleaded guilty Wednesday to misdemeanor theft in an unreleased case.

Yeva Smilianska, 25, was found guilty of vehicular homicide in April of last year after striking and killing White, who was on a training ride near his home in Boulder on July 29, 2023.

Smilianska was convicted Wednesday of depositing duplicate paychecks while working at a Longmont bar around the time she was found guilty in Whites death but wasnt discovered until months later.

The 25-year-old was sentenced to 364 days in jail for the Longmont theft, with 132 days credit for time served. The sentence will run concurrently with her June 2025 DOC sentence of four years.

The theft caused more than $2,000 in losses for the Longmont bar, and Smilianska was ordered to pay restitution of $2,561.20.

Smilianska was notified late last year that she was eligible for a community corrections review. However, she was denied a request to transfer to a halfway house in January.

White was a rising multidisciplinary star, winning a junior national cyclocross championship in 2021 and earning a spot on the U.S. national team.

He competed with the team in Europe ahead of the 2022 cyclocross world championships, and he was selected to represent the U.S.

His parents spearheaded a nonprofit foundation in his honor, called The White Line, which advocates for safer roadways on local and federal levels.

Smilianska remains under supervised custody at a Colorado facility.

AURORA, Colo.  Aurora Councilmember Rob Andrews pleaded guilty Tuesday to DUI under a plea deal, avoiding jail time in his January arrest.

After his plea, the newly elected councilmember was sentenced to 10 days of home detention, 12 months of probation and 48 hours of community service.

Andrews was arrested on the evening of Jan. 18 on suspicion of DUI after an Aurora officer reported seeing his Ford F250 splitting lanes and making wide turns on S. Chambers Road, police said.

After his arrest, Andrews, 41, was placed on a detox hold and released the next day on a summons.

During Tuesdays court hearing, the Aurora councilmember pleaded guilty to DUI.20+ BAC as part of the deal. His other traffic offenses were dropped as part of the agreement.

Andrews who chairs several committees, including public safety was elected to one of two at-large seats in the Aurora City Council last November as part of a voter-delivered 64 progressive majority wave to Auroras council chambers.

Voters chose hope over fear, community over chaos, Andrews told Denver7 last November.

Andrews released a statement on Facebook shortly after his release from a detox hold, taking full responsibility for his actions and apologizing to his family and the community.

UPDATE | June 4 Angelo Arias, 18, has been charged with vehicular homicide (DUI) and vehicular homicide (reckless driving) in this case.

...

NORTHGLENN, Colo. A Northglenn teen who fled a Thursday night traffic stop crashed into a home, killing his 18yearold passenger and triggering a gasline rupture that forced nearby evacuations, according to the Northglenn Police Department.

The teenage driver, 18-year-old Angelo Arias, was arrested at the crash scene and is facing multiple charges, including vehicular homicide, police said Tuesday.

The incident began after an officer attempted to stop Arias for erratic driving near Washington Street and E. 112th Avenue late Thursday.

Police said Arias initially stopped, but then took off and crashed into a home in the 10400 block of Clarkson Street just moments later.

No injuries inside the home were reported.

The crash ruptured a gas line and forced authorities to issue a CodeRed emergency notification to nearby residents, ordering an evacuation of the area.

Residents were allowed to return home after utility crews shut off the damaged gas line, and the area was deemed safe.

Police said Arias was suspected of being impaired at the time of the crash.

The identity of the deceased has not been released.

Police are asking anyone with information to contact Detective Brummel at 303-450-8857 or dbrummel@northglenn.org.

MESA COUNTY, Colo. Two teenage boys were arrested Monday after stealing a truck in Grand Junction, according to deputies with the Mesa County Sheriffs Office.

Deputies responded to a report of a stolen truck on D Road near the intersection with 29 Road at approximately 4:20 p.m. The owner of the truck told deputies his vehicle had been missing since about 11 a.m. or perhaps earlier in the day.

Investigative work helped deputies pin the vehicle down to a possible location near Loma, and deputies were able to find it traveling near M and 12 Roads.

A high-risk stop was then performed and the two teenage boys were taken into custody, according to a news release. Their identities will not be released since the boys are minors.

During the course of the investigation, deputies learned the vehicle had traveled extensively between Clifton and Loma.

Deputies said the Fruita Police Department responded to a call of an erratic driver around noon and found the vehicle, which had not been yet reported as stolen, abandoned in a parking lot near Highway 340 and Jurassic Court. The teenagers later returned to the vehicle and continued their escapade, according to the release.

The vehicle was returned to its owner by 6 p.m. once the investigation was complete, deputies said.

DENVER A 35yearold man suspected of stealing a flatbed work truck was shot by officers Tuesday at a Denver gas station, shutting down 6th Avenue and Santa Fe Drive, authorities said.

The man who was shot has been taken to a hospital and is in stable condition, Colorado State Patrol Chief Matthew Packard said at a news conference. No officers were injured.

Packard said that they believe both a state trooper and a member of the Adams County Sheriff's Office fired shots at the man who law enforcement believes stole the construction vehicle from an undisclosed location in eastern Adams County.

The company that owned the truck reported the theft around 9 a.m., and Colorado Metropolitan Auto Theft Task Force  which includes the Denver Police Department, the Colorado State Patrol, and the Adams County Sheriff's office, among other agencies was notified. A tracking device in the truck led law enforcement to the Sinclair gas station at 620 Santa Fe Drive, Packard said.

"The suspect that was driving that vehicle entered inside the gas station here and was confronted by officers from that auto theft task force as they begin to converge on the suspect, shots were fired," he said. "We believe the suspect was armed at the time of the encounter."

The shooting occurred around 11 a.m.

Packard said he couldn't say specifically what occurred in the moments leading up to the shots fired.

"I can't speak to specifically what prompted the actual shooting," he said. "The investigation will show that out."

The investigation will be led by the Denver Police Department as part of their critical incident protocol that also includes the Colorado Bureau of Investigation and typically, CSP.

"We'll be taking a back seat because of our trooper that's involved in this incident, but of course, we'll cooperate fully as this incident progresses," Packard said.

Packard said the two officers were at Denver Police Department as the investigation begins.

Watch the full press conference:

MONTROSE, Colo. Authorities are investigating after police said a man went on a shooting spree in Montrose Saturday, leaving one man wounded and the gunman dead.

The suspect in the shooting rampage was identified as 42-year-old Eduardo Garcia Barrera, who was driving a green Honda sedan.

Police said he was a parttime Wyoming resident with no ties to Montrose.

The incidents occurred between 10:15 a.m. and 10:50 a.m. at multiple locations in Montrose, according to police.

Police said Barrera drove erratically into the city on U.S. 50, firing at vehicles before pulling up beside a 22-year-old male pedestrian in the 200 block of N. San Juan Avenue and shot through the passenger side window, striking the man in the lower left side of his body.

The victim survived and was hospitalized in stable condition.

Minutes later, officers found Barreras green Honda crashed on E. Main Street, where he was discovered dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Police say Barrera had purchased a 9mm handgun and ammunition the day before in Gillette, Wyoming, then traveled through Colorado before the attack.

His motive remains unknown, and the investigation is ongoing.

JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. A jury returned a guilty verdict on two counts, including assault, against a Jefferson County man who shot a 17-year-old boy in the face. The defense had argued that the firearm was faulty.

The teenager was helping his friend find a spot to take homecoming pictures in 2024 in Conifer when the shooting happened.

Just before 4:30 p.m. Monday, the jury returned a guilty verdict for third-degree assault a lesser charge than the second-degree assault count he was charged with and illegal discharge of a firearm. The jury found Metz not guilty on two counts of menacing the two teens, as well as the original second-degree assault charge.

Throughout the trial, prosecutors told the jury this was a clear case of reckless assault while defense attorneys pointed blame at the gun.

Brent John Metz's trial started Wednesday morning in Jefferson County and closing arguments wrapped up on Monday morning.

Metz was arrested shortly after the shooting and formally charged with second-degree assault (recklessly causing a serious bodily injury with a deadly weapon), two counts of felony menacing and illegal discharge of a firearm. All are felonies. He pleaded not guilty to the charges in April 2025.

After the verdict was read Monday, a defense attorney said they intend to file a motion for a new trial. A judge recorded two possible dates for sentencing, depending on when a pre-sentencing investigative report is complete.

If that report is completed quickly, Metz is set to be sentenced on June 15. If more time is needed, the court has reserved July 7 for Metz's sentencing.

On Sept. 10, 2024, Luke Brookhouser, who was 15 at the time, and Jack Howard, 17 at the time, decided to explore possible spots to take photos of Brookhouser and his girlfriend for homecoming. Howard had a car and the pair headed up to Conifer. When they saw a spot with a lake, they pulled over and Howard parked his car. Seeing it was private property surrounded by a fence and gate, Howard testified that they looked for an intercom to communicate with the homeowners, but did not see one. The teens decided to hop the fence and walk up the driveway to knock on the front door and ask permission to take photos.

However, nobody answered, so they went back to their car, which Howard had parked along the public road, said Deputy District Attorney Christopher Johnson.

A surveillance video played in court showed the two boys approach the home and a barn from the long driveway. On the video, the jury could hear one of the boys knock, and another say "No one's here." Then, the two began heading back to their car.

Howard said he remembered seeing a car drive slowly by the property and wondered if it was the homeowner.

Because nobody was home, I was going to move [my car] because I thought that car was the owner, because I thought I was in the way," he explained.

Howard said he moved his car and they decided Brookhouser would write a note to the homeowners asking to take homecoming photos on the property.

Around that same time, Metz and his girlfriend were driving in separate vehicles after running errands, said defense attorney David Jones. An investigator told the courtroom that the couple used the home as a "getaway," though it was owned by Metz's girlfriend's family. Later in the trial, Metz would dispute this, telling the jury he does indeed own the property.

The girlfriend arrived first and saw an unfamiliar car blocking their driveway and people walking around the property they were later identified as Brookhouser and Howard. She called Metz to let him know. Metz testified that he tried to calm her down and told her to call police, which she did. He said was able to pull up surveillance footage on his phone and was fairly confident there was "no nefarious activity" occurring.

As he drove toward the home, he said he was not angry, but instead concerned because he did not recognize the people.

Morgan Gibson, the 911 dispatcher who took the initial call for service, testified on Thursday that she told Metz's girlfriend that they should not approach the people on the property. She instructed them to wait until law enforcement arrived. The call was played in the courtroom.

During the phone call, the girlfriend is heard telling Gibson the boys were "all over the place and looking everywhere." She said she knew that because Metz was watching the boys through cameras on the property.

As Metz pulled up to the property, he said he did not "come in hot" and just wanted to have a conversation with whoever was at the home. Prosecutors argued that Metz was indeed angry at the time.

At that same time, Brookhouser said that he was inside Howard's car writing a note for the property owners and Howard testified that he saw a person in a black truck pull up alongside them.

"From what I was still awake for, I just saw the door open. I kind of turned to open my door because I was going to talk to the person, and I saw someone start to get out, and then it all went black," Howard testified.

Moments before, as Metz testified he had always done, he grabbed his gun a SIG Sauer P320 from his truck holster and moved it to his hip holster as he was getting out of the vehicle. He testified that he was not drawing his weapon to fire, but rather to switch the holsters.

His defense attorney said Metz's "foot didn't find the ground where he thought it would be." He felt the gun discharge against his belly, Metz testified.

"He loses his balance briefly and boom," one of his defense attorneys said. "This gun goes off in his hand, without his intention, and without his command it went off.

The prosecution argued that the shooting may have not been intentional, but it was reckless, which matches the charges against Metz.

The bullet went through the windshield, entered Howard's nose and split into three pieces, including one piece that was lodged behind his left eyeball, Johnson said. He said rather than wait for a law enforcement officer, as dispatch had instructed, Metz decided he would teach the boys a lesson."

Howard testified that he remembers waking up, seeing blood and thinking he was going to die.

"My mouth was on fire, and it felt like my upper lip was gone, and I could taste little fragments of something in my mouth, a bunch of blood," Howard told the jury.

Brookhouser said he remembered Metz saying "Oh sh**, I shot a kid," and "Oh sh**, my gun went off" after the shooting. The defense attorneys tried to cast doubt upon the validity of the first statement about shooting a child. Brookhouser said he did not hear Metz apologize after the incident.

Metz said he tried to help Howard with his injuries, something Brookhouser contested.

"I feel horrible this happened to these two young men its something I will struggle with for the rest of my life," he said on the stand.

The jury was shown photographs of Howard's injuries and the blood found in the car. They also were shown body-worn camera footage from the scene.

Howard spent three days in the hospital and three bullet fragments were extracted from his face. He said he still suffers from the impacts today. He has a hard time breathing through his right nostril and sometimes loses sight in his left eye, he said.

He said he was not allowed to view the body-worn camera footage from the shooting before the trial, so his testimony was based solely on his memory. Still, Howard's account aligned closely with video evidence shown to the courtroom.

During the three-day trial, the defense argued that the gun malfunctioned. They also questioned how the boys remember the shooting.

On Friday, the defense called Edward Wilks, a gun store owner and firearm instructor, to testify. He has owned a gun store in Rifle for more than 25 years. While on the stand, he testified that there are several ways that the type of firearm involved in the shooting a SIG Sauer P320 can unintentionally fire. 

I will not stock them," Wilks said. "I wont sell them because I know theyre dangerous."

Wilks said he was able to make Metz's SIG Sauer P320 fire without pulling the trigger, and only by touching the trigger slightly on the side.

Metz testified that he had no knowledge of the controversy surrounding the SIG Sauer P320.

Derek Watkins, the prosecution's expert witness in firearms design and manufacturing, told the courtroom that he ran tests on the SIG Sauer P320 that was owned by Metz, and he found that it would not fire unless a trigger was pulled. He called making the gun fire without pulling the trigger a "parlor trick" where people partially pull a trigger, defeating the safeties on the weapon, making it malfunction. Watkins said that is a method he has observed in the past when individuals claim they have made a gun fire without pulling a trigger.

According to SIG Sauer, "the P320 cannot, under any circumstances, discharge without a trigger pull."

In a statement to Denver7, SIG Sauer wrote: "The design and engineering of the P320 makes it impossible to fire without a trigger pull. For additional information, please visit the websites below, including details on two recent federal court dismissals with one at Colorado federal court. P320 Truth website, Colorado federal court dismissal, Massachusetts federal court dismissal"

The gun's single spent shell casing was found stuck in the chamber of the gun after the shooting.

Wilks said that is proof that the gun malfunctioned.

"It was consistent with holding it loosely... Its not consistent with someone holding a gun and pointing it at someone," he said.

The defense also brought in psychology professor Deryn Strange, an expert in memory distortion, to speak about how memories can be altered as a trauma response.

Eugenio Liscio, who specializes in trajectory inspection and now applies his education in aerospace engineering to forensics, showed the courtroom computer models of the trajectory of the bullet. Liscio described the gunshot hole in the windshield as elliptical. Had the gun been directly pointed at the windshield, the hole would have been more circular, according to Liscio. The prosecution pushed back on this and noted Liscio's report, which reads that definitive bullet holes cannot be established with absolute certainty.

After Metz's testimony on Friday, both sides rested and the jury was dismissed for the weekend.

Closing arguments were heard in the trial of Brent Metz on Monday morning.

Lets talk about what really happened that day, said Johnson, as he began speaking to the jury.

Johnson revisited the events of the day the two teenage boys going onto the Conifer property, knocking on the barn door, and realizing no one was home. Howard and Brookhouser then walked back to their car, where they began to write a note asking the homeowners if they could use the property for homecoming pictures.

The movements of the boys on the property are verified by the surveillance footage, which Johnson emphasized.

You know that. You saw that, Johnson told the jury.

The jury also heard the 911 call made by Metzs girlfriend reporting the boys on the property, where she tells the dispatcher she would still like the teens trespassed even if they were gone by the time law enforcement arrived.

Then, Johnson said Metz arrived and proceeded to charge the boys and block their car in with his truck. The prosecutor said this is where the debate of the case lies.

Brookhouser testified that Metz exited his truck in an aggressive manner when he pulled up alongside the boys. Metz argued he tripped while getting out of his truck, and the gun fired accidentally.

Which one of those makes more sense? Johnson asked the jurors.

Johnson said the defense called expert witnesses, who charged a significant amount for their services, to argue there is reasonable doubt about how Metz acted that day in September 2024. However, Johnson said what the defense team was really trying to do was confuse the issue.

The prosecutor said what this case really comes down to is if Metz pointed the gun at the boys, at any point in the situation, and acted recklessly as a result.

He said the defense is trying to gaslight Brookhouser into thinking his recollection of events is inaccurate. To prove what Brookhouser is telling the jury, about how Metz acted upon exiting his truck and then at the scene, Johnson referenced four times on the day of the shooting where Brookhouser told investigators what he repeated while on the witness stand.

Those statements were all variations of the same sentiment: that Metz pulled out his gun and shot at the boys. Johnson said Brookhouser has never had a different explanation of what happened.

Johnson reiterated that both of the boys version of events has never wavered, and that they do not embellish their accounts of the day.

Howard lost consciousness when he was shot, but as Johnson noted, has never tried to claim that he suddenly recalls the moment the gun was fired.

Then, Johnson turned to Metzs testimony when he was called to the witness stand in his own defense. Metz did not directly admit that a gun is considered a deadly weapon, something Johnson called an act of self-preservation. Instead, Metz said that a gun has the potential to be a deadly weapon.

Metz also denied having known about any alleged issues with the gun in this case, a SIG Sauer P320. Johnson questioned the validity of that claim, calling it an expensive hobby, and asking the jury if they believe that an experienced gun owner would not research a firearm before purchasing it.

Johnson continued to tell the jury that Metz knew it was children on his property, and knew there was no danger in the situation. The prosecutor told the jury this is not a case of self-defense or defense of property.

Instead, Johnson said Metz knew the gun was loaded at the time of the interaction.

"Hes acting out of anger and he knows hes escalating that situation, Johnson said.

Prosecutors do not have to prove Metzs actions were purposeful or intentional. They must only prove he was acting recklessly at the time.

When it was time for defense attorney Chris Decker to present his final argument to the jury, he began by addressing Brookhousers testimony.

They have to defend Lukes story, which is completely discredited by all the physical evidence, Decker said.

Decker continued to state that there are millions of handguns in society, and that accidents sometimes happen.

They dont like the truth, Decker said about the prosecution. That P320 is a train wreck.

It was a train wreck based on a defective weapon, Decker asserted, saying the firearm went off as Metz stumbled out of his truck.

He didnt throw caution to the wind, Decker claimed about his client. This weapon is unsafe, and it went off in Brent Metzs hand.

According to the defense team, Metz was not angry when he approached the boys, and instead was determined to speak to them. Metzs girlfriend was scared that day because her former partner, before Metz, had been a dangerous man, Decker said.

They have to create the drama. They have to make Brent Metz angry and reckless, and all the things hes not, Decker said to the jury.

Decker said the jury must determine if this was a crime or a horrible accident, before asking them to acquit Metz on all charges.

In prosecutors' brief rebuttal argument before the jury began deliberating, Senior Deputy District Attorney Brian Hassing said the defense team wants jurors to believe that an experienced shooter like Metz somehow accidentally discharged a firearm.

Instead, Hassing said Metz confronted the boys like the ultimate get-off-my-lawn guy with a loaded gun.

"Its not an accident. Guns dont just go off. Find the defendant guilty, Hassing said.

The jury must decide the fate of Metz on four different counts: second-degree assault, a charge of menacing for the two boys each, and illegal discharge of a firearm.

Jury deliberations began just after 10:30 a.m. on Monday.

A jury question was read aloud to the courtroom a little after noon. The question asked what jurors should do if they do not agree on the verdict.

The jury in this case returned a mixed verdict just before 4:30 p.m. on Monday. The judge read it as Metz stood up in the courtroom.

He was found guilty of third-degree assault a lesser charge than second-degree assault and illegal discharge of a firearm. The jury found him not guilty on the two menacing charges.

Metz's sentencing date will depend on how quickly the probation office can complete his pre-sentence investigative report.

The defense argued "this verdict has problems that are inherently obvious at this point," and planned to file a motion for a new trial within 14 days. To expedite that process, the defense said they would waive some elements of the report. They asked for sentencing within seven days.

The report typically takes four weeks at the minimum to complete, the judge said, adding that he would try to see if the probation office could complete the report quickly.

The prosecution argued that "this situation is not unique" and most defendants probably want their sentencing over as soon as possible after a conviction. The prosecution said they would guess that probation would need the full four weeks and a request like this could slow down the process.

The judge decided to set two dates, depending on when the report will be finalized. If it's done early, Metz's sentencing will be held on June 15. If it takes the full four weeks, sentencing will be done on July 7.

DENVER Denver authorities released the name Saturday of a man shot to death earlier this month in the citys Ballpark District, and said "everyone involved" in the shooting has been contacted.

The Denver Office of the Medical Examiner identified the homicide victim as 28-year-old Jacob Hensley and determined that Hensley died from multiple gunshot wounds.

Police said the 28-year-old was shot in the area of 20th and Little Raven streets on the evening of May 22.

Following the shooting, police arrived to find a wounded Hensley and had him transported to the hospital, where he later died.

No arrests have been announced. However, they said that investigators are talking to all those involved in the shooting.

"Investigators are in contact with everyone involved in this incident," DPD posted on X the same day as the homicide.

According to a GoFundMe campaign, Hensley was the father of four children, and the family is originally from Alabama.

Police said the investigation into the homicide is ongoing and have not released additional details, including the circumstances leading up to the shooting.

AURORA, Colo. Police in Aurora are investigating after a fatal hit-and-run crash involving a stolen motorcycle left one dead and injured another Friday night.

An adult male motorcyclist died, and a female passenger was injured after the 11:49 p.m. crash with a driver of a Honda CR V, who police said took off after the crash.

The crash occurred on E. Iliff Avenue at the intersection of S. Idalia Street, according to the Aurora Police Department.

Police said the motorcycle was traveling westbound on E. Iliff Avenue when the motorcyclist collided with the CR-V, which was turning onto S. Idalia Street from eastbound E. Iliff Avenue.

Both riders were taken to hospitals, where the male driver later died, and the passenger was listed in stable condition.

The CR V driver who fled has not been located, but the vehicle was found abandoned nearby, police said.

Investigators say speed may have contributed, and the crash remains under investigation.

The identity of the deceased has not been released.

Video from a busy Aurora intersection captured the final moments of Rajon Belt-Stubblefield's life. The 37-year-old man was shot and killed by an Aurora police officer last August.

It was a shooting that sparked community outrage.

And now, an Arapahoe County grand jury will now decide whether that officer should face formal criminal charges.

The officer's body camera and nearby surveillance cameras from 6th Avenue and Sable Boulevard in Aurora captured the moments leading up to the fatal shooting on Aug. 30.

The incident began when an Aurora officer tried to pull Belt-Stubblefield over for a traffic stop. Belt-Stubblefield reportedly fled from the officer and crashed into a pair of cars at the intersection of 6th Avenue and Billings Street.

The officer approached Belt-Stubblefields car with his gun drawn. He made multiple demands for Belt-Stubblefield to put his hands in the air. Belt-Stubblefield disregarded those commands, got out of his car and walked toward the sidewalk.

At that point, the officer tried to tackle or apprehend Belt-Stubblefield and was unsuccessful. Its during that first physical contact that Belt-Stubblefield apparently tosses a handgun into the grass nearby.

Belt-Stubblefield advanced toward the officer as the officer backed away, gun drawn, for an approximately 50-foot distance down the 6th Avenue sidewalk. During his retreat, the officer makes multiple commands to get on the ground, at one point warning Belt-Stubblefield: Ill shoot you.

In the seconds before hes shot, Belt-Stubblefield said at least six times, Are you ready for this? as his son could be heard saying, Dad, chill! and officer, chill! and the officer tells him to get on the ground.

The officer backs into the roadway as Belt-Stubblefield continues his advance. After retreating roughly four steps onto 6th Avenue, the officer shoots Belt-Stubblefield twice in the body. He then fires a third shot that hits Belt-Stubblefield in the head.

Watch Claire Lavezzorio's video in the player below:

Immediately following the incident, Aurora Police Chief Todd Chamberlain called his officer's actions justified.

"The actions of the suspects dictate what our officers have to do," Chamberlain said in a news conference.

Attorney Milo Schwab, who represents Belt-Stubblefield's family, says a grand jury is a less common tool used in Colorado, where a group of people are called to review a case.

"And ultimately you're the judge, you're the prosecutor to some degree, as the grand jury, and they review all the evidence, they ask the questions, they send the prosecutors out to investigate further if they want additional information," Schwab said.

Schwab maintains the officer initiated and escalated the confrontation.

"We need accountability, and if police will not hold themselves accountable, then we have to turn to our citizens," Schwab said.

Aurora activist Candice Bailey calls the grand jury a critical step in the case.

"I think it is important that we have a grand jury convene, because there are criminal acts that occurred, whether we like it or not, on both sides of the fence," Bailey said.

Aurora police are not commenting at this time.

Bailey told Denver7 she is hopeful more cases take this route.

"I think that this is a very important step in our community, and I will continue to push for things like this," Bailey said.

The defense rested their case on Friday afternoon in the trial of a former Mountain View Town Council member, who told the jury he never pulled the trigger when his gun fired, shooting a teen in the face.

On Sept. 10, 2024, the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office (JCSO) reported that two teens then 17-year-old Jack Howard and 15-year-old Luke Brookhouser walked through Brent Metz's property without permission. The boys said they hopped the fence, hoping to speak with the homeowners about using the land for homecoming pictures.

Upon realizing no one was home, the boys walked back to their car, where they began to write a note while parked on the side of the road. The defendant, Metz, said he pulled up alongside the boys in their car and intended to speak with them but asserted that when he exited his truck, he lost his balance "and the firearm discharged."

Metz faces four felony charges: second-degree assault (recklessly causing a serious bodily injury with a deadly weapon), two counts of felony menacing and illegal discharge of a firearm.

He pleaded not guilty to all charges in April 2025 and was removed from Mountain View Town Council during a special election in May 2025.

After opening statements of the trial Wednesday, prosecutors worked to prove to the jury beyond a reasonable doubt that Metz was reckless on that day in 2024, while his defense team tried to cast doubt upon the way the teen boys remember the shooting and argued that the make and model of the gun in question is notorious for malfunctioning.

Howard, the teen who was shot in the face, testified on Thursday and told the jury he believed he would die from his injuries that day.

On Friday, Metz's defense team concluded their argument after Metz took the witness stand and told his side of the story.

The first witness called to the stand on Friday was Chris Loots, who has known Metz since college. Loots testified that the two shared commonalities, like growing up in small, rural towns, and began hunting together.

Brent, with his ROTC background as well, is very well-trained with firearms," Loots said. Very scrutinous about safety.

After college, the two would hunt more regularly. Loots told the jury he has observed Metz teach others how to handle firearms safely.

Hes one of the safest people that Ive shot firearms with," Loots said on the stand. I would trust Mr. Metz with my life."

Next, the defense called their expert witness in firearms, firearm safety, and firearm components to the stand. Edward Wilks said he has owned a gun store in Rifle for roughly 25 years, and teaches concealed carry handgun classes along with firearm safety. Wilks also has a background in law enforcement.

Wilks examined the gun in this case, which was a SIG Sauer P320. According to Wilks, there are many ways that kind of gun can fire without the trigger being pulled.

It has been my observation that that happens all the time," Wilks said about unintentional firings with the SIG Sauer P320. It is not safe. It shouldnt be owned.

According to Wilks, he will not even stock the SIG Sauer P320 in his store.

I saw that as a train wreck waiting to happen, but then, my observations were all, unfortunately and sadly, they were all verified," Wilks testified.

According to SIG Sauer, "the P320 cannot, under any circumstances, discharge without a trigger pull."

However, Wilks claimed he was able to make Metz's SIG Sauer P320 fire without pulling the trigger, and only by touching the trigger slightly on the side.

In addition, Wilks said the spent casing found in the chamber of Metz's gun tells him the weapon was being held loosely.

On Thursday, the prosecution's expert witness in firearms design and manufacturing, Derek Watkins, told the jury he ran a number of tests on the specific SIG Sauer P320 that was owned by Metz. According to Watkins, his analysis revealed via the physical testing of the gun that it would not have fired unless a trigger was pulled.

Then, Eugenio Liscio took the witness stand and walked the jury through a three dimensional rendering of the scene, demonstrating the trajectory of the bullet. According to Liscio's analysis, the weapon would have been fired as Metz was exiting his truck.

Metz took the stand in his own defense on Friday afternoon, telling the jury he is a general contractor, and in the past was a mechanical engineer who worked in the oil and gas industry.

While attending college, Metz said he was in the U.S. Air Force. He was first introduced to firearms as a Boy Scout, becoming an avid hunter as he grew older. According to Metz, he has been a concealed carry permit holder for approximately 20 years.

On the stand, Metz was asked about prior testimony from a JCSO investigator who said he does not own the property in Conifer. Metz disputed that, saying he does indeed own the Conifer property where the two teenagers wanted to take homecoming pictures.

Metz testified that he does not concealed carry at schools, churches, or public events anywhere that is prohibited by law.

Whenever Metz does have his handgun, he said it is holstered on his hip. The firearm is transferred to a holster in his truck when he drives.

Before Sept. 10, 2024, Metz testified that he had never experienced an accidental, uncommanded discharge of a firearm.

"The day started off like a normal day," Metz told the jury about the day of the shooting.

According to Metz, he took his girlfriend's children to school in the morning, visited one of his construction sites during the day, and was preparing for a hunting trip.

His girlfriend called, telling Metz about a car in their driveway and individuals by the barn on the property. Metz said at that point in time, his girlfriend had been a victim of a handful of crimes against her, so he tried to calm her down and told her to call the police.

Meanwhile, Metz said he briefly checked the cameras on the property and saw the teenage boys. He told the jury he was fairly confident there was "no nefarious activity" occurring.

Metz said he would not describe himself as angry as he drove to the home. Instead, he said he was concerned since he did not recognize the people on the property. He added that there are often neighbors who stop by the land to take pictures or access the pond.

When Metz arrived, he said he was surprised the car was not in the driveway, where he expected it to be. Instead, the boys had moved their car out of the driveway and to the side of the road.

In Metz's retelling of the day, he said he did not "come in hot" when he parked next to the boys in their car. His intention, according to Metz, was to have a conversation with whoever was at his home.

Metz told the jury that when the shooting occurred, he was not drawing his weapon to fire, but instead was attempting to switch it from his vehicle holster to his hip holster as he got out of his truck.

I remember, very clearly, every detail of the situation," said Metz. Its the same movement I have conducted thousands and thousands of times before."

However, Metz claimed the ground was not where he expected it to be and lost his balance, then felt the gun discharge against his belly without commanding it to do so. He told the jury he never placed his finger on the trigger.

It was extremely fast," Metz said.

Metz said he attempted to render aid to Howard because "I realized what had happened, and its the last thing I would ever want to happen to anyone, and thats my instinct is to help."

Prior to the shooting, Metz claimed he had no knowledge of the controversy surrounding the SIG Sauer P320, and said he would not have purchased that gun if he would have known about the unintentional firing claims.

"I feel horrible this happened to these two young men its something I will struggle with for the rest of my life," Metz said on the stand.

On cross-examination, Metz told the prosecutor he understood he is not being charged with an intentional act. Prosecutors must prove he was acting recklessly.

Metz could not recall if he apologized to the teenagers at the scene.

"I wish I could absorb that pain for them. I have wrestled with this every minute for the last year and a half," said Metz.

According to Metz, he would have allowed the boys to take homecoming pictures at his property.

The trial will resume on Monday morning, with jury instructions at 9 a.m. After that, both sides will present their closing arguments before the case is handed over to the jury to begin their deliberations.

DOUGLAS COUNTY, Colo. A convicted child predator who fled the state prior to a court hearing in March was sentenced to 100 years to life in prison Friday.

Jorge Campos, 42, was sentenced in Douglas County Court to 20 years for each of the 5 counts of sexual assault on a child for which he was convicted. The sentence will run consecutively.

Campos, an undocumented immigrant, repeatedly assaulted his girlfriends daughter from 2021 to 2023 at her home. The abuse began when the victim was just 11 years old, Douglas County prosecutors said.

He was originally arrested in May of 2024 following a report of the assault to police and was ordered to wear an ankle monitor pending future court hearings.

Following a four-day trial in Douglas County Court in late March, Campos was set to appear in court for a sentencing hearing but failed to show up, according to prosecutors.

Authorities later discovered his court-ordered ankle monitor discarded in a dumpster near his home, which prompted prosecutors to issue BOLO alert for Campos.

Prosecutors said a Denver television viewer recognized Campos aboard a bus heading to Mexico, and deputies in Douglas County were able to coordinate with New Mexico law enforcement to capture him.

Campos was arrested him at a gas station about 20 miles from the Mexican border in New Mexico just a few days after alerting the public that a criminal was on the loose.

The bravery this young woman demonstrated cannot be overstated, Deputy District Attorney Brynn Chase said in a prepared statement. Because of her courage, a dangerous predator will spend years behind bars, and other victims may now find the strength to speak up as well.

Prosecutors rested their case against a former town council member accused of four charges related to shooting a teenage boy in the face who was helping his friend find the perfect location to take homecoming pictures in 2024.

The teenager, Jack Howard, took the witness stand on Thursday, retelling that traumatic day to the jury and explaining he initially thought he would die from his injuries.

The defense team for Brent Metz, which called their first witness in the case late in the day, argues the gun malfunctioned and is working to cast doubt upon the way the boys remember the shooting.

This case started on Sept. 10, 2024. The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office (JCSO) said two teens had trespassed on Metz's property, which is located along the 23000 block of Pleasant Park Road, as they searched for a place to take homecoming photos. At 4:15 p.m., a woman later identified as Metz's girlfriend called 911 to report trespassers. She called Metz too.

When first responders arrived, they found two cars on the side of the road. Howard was bleeding from his face while another boy, Luke Brookhouser, applied pressure to the wounds. Metz was nearby. JCSO said Howard told police that the two boys had been trying to find a place to take pictures and jumped the fence on the property to ask the homeowners for permission. However, they said nobody appeared home, so they walked back down the long driveway back to their car to write a note for the homeowners.

As they were doing that, Metz pulled up in a truck and fired one round through the other car's windshield, the JCSO said. According to Metz' arrest affidavit, he tried to help after the shooting, but the uninjured teen pushed him away.

Metz was arrested and formally charged with second-degree assault (recklessly causing a serious bodily injury with a deadly weapon), two counts of felony menacing and illegal discharge of a firearm. All are felonies. He pleaded not guilty to the charges in April 2025.

Metz was a member of the Mountain View Town Council and was removed from the position during a special election in May of 2025.

Opening statements in the case were heard on Wednesday.

The first witness called to the stand on Thursday was Dr. Rebekah Latham, an emergency medicine physician who was working at CommonSpirit St. Anthony Hospital in Lakewood on the day of the shooting. Latham examined Howard when he was admitted to the hospital and testified that she believes he suffered serious bodily injury based on a substantial risk of death and permanent disfigurement.

Next, 911 dispatcher Morgan Gibson took the stand. She fielded the original call for service from Metz's partner who reported unknown individuals on the Conifer property.

The call was played in the courtroom, where the reporting party was heard saying, its our property, and I just drove by and theres a car parked in our driveway and theres people up by our barn who are not supposed to be there."

Metz's girlfriend was not charged in this case, so Denver7 is not publishing her name.

The caller told Gibson she did not want to enter her home with her children in the car, so she was parked a few driveways away.

During the phone call, Metz's partner is heard telling Gibson the boys were "all over the place and looking everywhere." She said she knew that because Metz was watching the boys through cameras on the property.

Gibson advised the caller to wait until law enforcement arrived before approaching the unknown people, something Metz's girlfriend said they would do. She added that they would still like the boys to be charged with trespassing, even if they had departed by the time officers arrived.

We literally have cameras on every ounce of our property," said the reporting party, letting Gibson know law enforcement could review the footage. "So if theyre gone, we still want them trespassed.

Prosecutors then launched into questioning their expert witness in firearms design and manufacturing, Derek Watkins. The gun in this case was a SIG Sauer P320, which Watkins described in great detail, showing the jury the mechanics of the firearm on diagrams projected at the front of the courtroom.

Watkins ran a number of tests on the specific SIG Sauer P320 that was owned by Metz. According to Watkins, his analysis revealed via the physical testing of the gun that it would not have fired unless a trigger was pulled.

Watkins was asked about a competing witness in the case, who will be called by the defense team and likely testify that Metz was able to make the gun fire without pulling the trigger. Watkins called it a "parlor trick" when individuals partially pull a trigger, defeating the safeties on the weapon, and make the gun malfunction. He said that is a method he has observed in the past when individuals claim they have made a gun fire without pulling a trigger.

Following Watkins' testimony, Jack Howard took the witness stand. Howard, who turned 19 this week, is the teenager who was shot in the face.

In 2024, Howard was 17 years old. He told the jury that he picked up his best friend, then 15-year-old Luke Brookhouser, from school on Sept. 10, 2024.

The two drove in search of a spot to take homecoming pictures, when they came upon a scenic area and Howard parked in front of the gate. Howard told the jury that the teenagers first looked for an intercom or camera on the gate where they could communicate with the homeowners, but did not find anything of the sort.

The boys decided to hop the fence and knock on the front door. They walked down the long driveway and heard noise coming from a barn on the property. Howard said they knocked on the door but no one answered, so they retreated back along the driveway toward his parked car.

Howard estimated they spent roughly five minutes in total at the structures on the property looking for the homeowners. He observed a car driving slowly outside of the gate and thought it might be the person who owned the home.

Because nobody was home, I was going to move [my car] because I thought that car was the owner, because I thought I was in the way," Howard explained.

Once back inside their car, the teenagers decided it would be a good idea to write a note asking the homeowners if they could use their property to take homecoming pictures. Howard, who was driving, backed out of the driveway and stopped on the left side of the road closest to the fence. He testified that he did not move his car again after clearing the driveway.

Meanwhile, Brookhouser volunteered to write the note. While Brookhouser was writing the note, Howard saw a black truck approaching their car. The truck pulled alongside their car and stopped.

"From what I was still awake for, I just saw the door open. I kind of turned to open my door because I was going to talk to the person, and I saw someone start to get out, and then it all went black," Howard testified.

Howard did not see who got out of the truck and has no recollection of the moment when he was shot.

The next thing the teenager remembers is when his friend and Metz were attempting to help him out of his car. He looked down, saw blood and "thought I was going to die."

Frantically, Howard repeated to his friend that he thought he may die.

"My mouth was on fire, and it felt like my upper lip was gone, and I could taste little fragments of something in my mouth, a bunch of blood," Howard told the jury.

That's when Howard realized he had been shot. He could not recall if Metz said anything to him.

Howard spent three days in the hospital as a result of his injuries, where three "main" bullet fragments were extracted from his face. The jury saw a picture of those fragments projected inside the courtroom.

For about a week and a half after, I would have nosebleeds. I was missing half a tooth so I could not eat or drink hot or cold liquid or foods," Howard explained, describing the residual impacts of the shooting.

Still, Howard said he has "a black eye that will not go away. I have a really hard time breathing through my right nostril. If I have any type of mucus in my nose, it wont stay in my nose, it just runs out because of the scar tissue. I sometimes lose sight in my left eye."

Smaller fragments of the bullet continued to come out of his face after the first three pieces were removed.

They would come as, like, a really weird looking pimple type of thing, and then when Id touch it I could tell that it was not from my body," Howard said.

When asked how he is doing currently, Howard said, Im doing better."

Howard said he was not allowed to view the body-worn camera footage that showed the moments following the shooting, so his testimony on Thursday was based solely on his memory.

Prosecutors then called JCSO Investigator Jaime Sieck to the witness stand. Sieck went to the hospital where Howard was being treated after the shooting and helped execute search warrants connected to the case.

As part of Sieck's investigation, he collected surveillance video from the Conifer property. A clip of that footage was played in the courtroom, where jurors observed Howard and Brookhouser approach the home and barn from the long driveway. The boys walk through the roundabout on the property, stopping at one structure before heading to the next one, with cats trotting behind them.

On the video, the jury could hear one of the boys knock, and another say "no one's here." Then, the two begin heading back down the driveway toward their vehicle.

A few moments of silence pass as the boys vanish in the video, before a loud gunshot rang out through the courtroom. Distant yelling could be heard.

Sieck testified that the property was owned by Metz's girlfriend's family, and that Metz resided at a different address but would come to this home as a "getaway."

Metz was a concealed carry permit holder, which Sieck said requires instruction about de-escalation.

Obviously, if youre bringing a gun to a situation, its going to escalate," Sieck said on the stand.

The JCSO investigator described the four universal rules of firearm safety for the jury: treat every gun as if it is loaded, keep fingers off the trigger, be aware of your target and beyond, and never point at something unless you are ready to destroy it.

The prosecution rested their case after Sieck's testimony.

The first witness Metz's defense team called to the witness stand was a psychology professor, Deryn Strange, who is an expert in memory distortion. Strange, who was called to the stand late in the day, told the jury that when humans experience a trauma response, it makes memory distortion more likely.

Metz's defense team will continue their argument on Friday morning with closing arguments expected Friday as well. Denver7 will be in the courtroom and will continue to cover this case as it is handed over to the jury.

THORNTON, Colo. Officials released the identity Thursday of four members of a Thornton family who were shot and killed in a suspected murder-suicide last week.

Police said a 33-year-old man is believed to have fatally shot the three other members of his family, the youngest 13, before turning the gun on himself. The shooting occurred sometime on Friday.

They were identified as David Robert Nelimark, 53; May Gnia Nelimark, 49; Joey King Vue, 33; and Asher Kieth Kub Nelimark, 13. The official cause and manner of their deaths were not released.

The bodies were discovered Friday night after a family member went to the home in the 13900 block of Harrison Street and found that "multiple individuals inside the residence were unresponsive," police said in a Saturday press release.

Officers arrived around 8 p.m., though police have not said at what time the shooting may have occurred that day.

It's not known whether police have had prior contact with the household, and details about what may have led to the shooting were not available.

Thornton police said they are deeply saddened by the tragedy and offered condolences to everyone affected.

"We recognize that incidents like this are difficult for neighbors and our entire community. Those in need of support are encouraged to seek available resources," a Thornton PD spokesperson said.

Officers added that there is no known threat to the community and that their investigation is ongoing.

The Thornton Police Department, its victim services unit, and its co-responder team are available to provide support and can be reached at 720-977-5150 or by calling 911 in an emergency.

JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. The jury trial has started for a Conifer man accused of shooting a boy in the face after the two teens went onto and then left his property looking for a place to take homecoming pictures. Prosecutors are arguing this was clear assault and the defense blamed the firearm for malfunctioning.

Brent John Metz's trial started Wednesday morning in Jefferson County.

This case started on Sept. 10, 2024. The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office (JCSO) said two teens had trespassed on Metz's property, which is located along the 23000 block of Pleasant Park Road, as they searched for a place to take homecoming photos. At 4:15 p.m., a woman later identified as Metz's girlfriend called 911 to report trespassers, and then she called Metz.

When first responders arrived, they found two cars on the side of the road, and a 17-year-old who was bleeding from his face while another boy applied pressure to the wounds. Metz was nearby. JCSO said the injured teen told police that the two boys had been trying to find a place to take pictures and jumped the fence on the property to ask the homeowners for permission. However, they said nobody appeared home, so they walked back down the long driveway back to their car to write a note for the homeowners.

As they were doing that, Metz pulled up in a truck and fired one round through the other car's windshield, JCSO said. According to the affidavit, Metz tried to help after the shooting, but the uninjured teen pushed him away.

Metz was arrested and formally charged with second-degree assault (recklessly causing a serious bodily injury with a deadly weapon), two counts of felony menacing and illegal discharge of a firearm. All are felonies. He pleaded not guilty to the charges in April 2025.

The opening statements in his jury trial began on Wednesday morning.

Prosecutor Christopher Johnson began his opening statements by introducing the jury to the two teens at the center of this case. The 15-year-old and 17-year-old were lifelong friends. The 15-year-old had wanted to do something special for his girlfriend, and find a spot for homecoming photos. His friend had a new car, so they decided to scout out possible locations.

On Sept. 10, 2024, the boys went to Conifer and found a spot with a lake on private property, Johnson said. They walked down the driveway to find the owners to ask permission, but were unable to find anybody. They then left the property and went back to the 17-year-old's car, which he had parked along the public road.

They picked the wrong house and they picked the wrong people," Johnson said. "Because as youll see, Mr. Metz and (his girlfriend) dont like when there are kids on their property.

Metz's girlfriend was not charged in this case, so Denver7 is not publishing her name.

Johnson said Metz was watching the kids on his property's surveillance cameras and that his girlfriend was watching from the road.

At the car, the 15-year-old began to write a letter to ask permission to take photos on the property. Metz's girlfriend, who had called 911 to report trespassing, told dispatch that Metz was five minutes away. The dispatcher advised both of them to not approach whoever was on their property until law enforcement arrived.

If that had happened, none of you would be here," Johnson said to the jury, adding that instead of waiting, Metz and his girlfriend decided to "box in these boys" by parking Metz's truck in front of the 17-year-old's Audi.

Johnson said that Metz had a loaded 9mm handgun with a live round in the chamber on his person. As the 17-year-old opened the Audi's car door, Metz fired one shot through the windshield, the prosecutor said. The bullet entered the teen's nose and split into three pieces, including one piece that was lodged behind his left eyeball, Johnson said.

Somehow, (he) survives this," the prosecutor said, and the boy was able to keep his eye after surgery.

Johnson said that Metz "came in hot" and knew who was on his property because of the surveillance videos. Rather than wait for a law enforcement officer, as dispatch had instructed, he decided he would teach the boys a lesson, the prosecutor said.

He told the jury that the defense would make three arguments during the trial: One, they will say it was a justified reaction. Two, they will try to discredit the two teenagers. And three, they will try to blame the gun.

Johnson asked the jurors to find Metz guilty on all four counts against him.

The defense then presented their opening statements to the jury.

A defense attorney said Metz's intent was never to assault or menace the boys.

Defense attorney David Jones said Metz and his girlfriend were returning from errands in separate cars when the girlfriend saw a car blocking their driveway and people walking around the property. She called Metz and then 911. The dispatcher advised them to not confront the people on the property.

But Metz instead blocked them in. Jones said Metz's plan was to park his truck in front of the stranger vehicle, and then get into his girlfriend's car and wait for police.

Whenever he gets in and out of his truck, when hes carrying his sidearm, he takes it from his truck holster and moves it to his hip holster as hes getting out of his truck," Jones explained.

On this day, after he had parked in front of the teen's Audi, he grabbed his gun from the truck holster, moved it to his hip holster as he was getting out of the vehicle and went to step out. But his "foot didn't find the ground where he thought it would be," the defense attorney said.

"He loses his balance briefly and boom," Jones said. "This gun goes off. In his hand, without his intention and without his command, it went off.

A local expert who has owned a gun shop for more than 25 years will testify, Jones said, and will explain that the type of firearm Metz had a SIG Sauer P320 was one of the only guns that can unintentionally fire in people's holsters sometimes. That expert, who also has more than a decade of experience in law enforcement, does not allow that firearm in his gun safety classes because he knows it is unsafe. In addition, a crime scene investigator at the shooting scene found that the empty shell casing for the single bullet Metz fired was stuck in the gun, Jones said.

Jones said the two boys were at the property for an innocent purpose, even if it was minor trespassing. Everybody in the courtroom should agree that they should not have been shot for their actions, he said. The defense does not believe they are liars, but they had been through a traumatic event, which can alter a person's memory, he said, and alluded to a few changes in the boys' stories to law enforcement. They will have an expert testify on human memory as well.

He gave some background on Metz: He had never committed a crime and was a respected member of the community. His whole life was built around gun safety and ownership, from his time in Eagle Scouts to his service in the U.S. Air Force. He has carried a concealed carry permit since he was 19 years old and has been professionally trained on firearm safety.

Jones asked the jury to find Metz not guilty on all counts, calling the incident an accidental discharge and not reckless conduct.

The first witness who testified in the trial was 17-year-old Luke Brookhouser, who was 15 at the time of the shooting. Brookhouser was one of the boys who encountered Metz in September 2024.

It was his lifelong friend who was shot in the face next to him while Brookhouser was writing a note they intended to leave for the homeowners, requesting to use their property for homecoming pictures.

That note was found in a cup holder of the car by investigators, which started with "hello homeowner, my name is Luke."

On the stand, Brookhouser told the jury that was "a very traumatic experience for the both of us," and that they do not talk about that day very often. He insisted that has not impacted his recollection of the shooting.

The teenager continued to state that he recalled Metz saying a few things after his friend was shot, including "oh sh**, I shot a kid," and "oh sh**, my gun went off." Brookhouser believed Metz said both of those things, while the defense tried to cast doubt upon the validity of the first statement about shooting a child.

Brookhouser added that he did not hear Metz apologize after the incident.

Next, prosecutors called a handful of law enforcement officials to the witness stand, while admitting evidence that included photographs from the scene and body-worn camera footage related to the investigation.

In one photograph, a bullet hole can be seen in the windshield of the teenager's car, directly above the steering wheel where the head of a driver would normally be.

Photographs also showed blood running down the door jam of the driver side door, and bloody towels and a water bottle right outside of the car.

Inside of the truck that Metz was driving, a handgun was found on the center console. In total, four firearms were recovered from the truck.

In the body-worn camera footage that was played for the jury, the teenager who was shot in the face can be seen with blood running down his face as he answered questions from investigators.

We were waiting for him, to ask him, and then he got out of his car and shot," said the boy who was shot when describing what happened.

I was writing a letter to ask him if we could take photos on his property," Brookhouser said.

In addition, the jury saw photographs of the teenager's injuries following the shooting.

The trial continues on Thursday morning, and Denver7 will be in the courtroom.

Three people went to the hospital after an armed robbery overnight Sunday that led to a police chase and crash in Denver.

One was a 16-year-old male and another was an 18-year-old male, Commerce City police said. The department did not identify the third person yet.

Several people were robbed at gun and knife point outside a home near Onida Street and E. 61st Pl. overnight Sunday, according to the Commerce City Police Department.

There were two groups of suspects in two separate vehicles, police said. When investigators were interviewing the armed robbery victims about what happened, the suspects returned to the scene of the crime in the vehicles they had reportedly been driving earlier.

Commerce city police officers tried to stop them, but when the suspects refused, a pursuit ensued onto Interstate 70. One driver exited at N. Pecos Street before crashing the vehicle into a retaining wall.

The three people in that vehicle suffered serious injuries, according to police, and were taken to the hospital. Commerce City police are still looking for the second suspect vehicle and the four people inside. Investigators said both vehicles were identified as stolen.

The Denver Police Department is investigating the crash into the retaining wall, while Commerce City police investigate the aggravated robbery.

THORNTON, Colo. A man in Thornton is believed to have fatally shot three members of his family before turning the gun on himself, according to the Thornton Police Department. A murder-suicide investigation is now underway.

The bodies were discovered Friday night after a family member went to the home in the 13900 block of Harrison Street and found that "multiple individuals inside the residence were unresponsive," police said in a Saturday press release.

Officers arrived around 8 p.m., though police have not said when the shooting occurred.

Watch the latest on this story in the video below:

Inside the home, officers found two men, a woman, and a juvenile dead from apparent gunshot wounds. Investigators believe one of the men a 33yearold shot the three relatives before dying by suicide.

The identities of all four are being withheld pending positive identification by the Adams County Coroner's Office and notification to family, police said.

Police have not said whether they had prior contact with the household or released details about what may have led to the shooting.

Thornton police said they are deeply saddened by the tragedy and offered condolences to everyone affected.

"We recognize that incidents like this are difficult for neighbors and our entire community. Those in need of support are encouraged to seek available resources," a Thornton PD spokesperson said.

Officers added that there is no known threat to the community and that their investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Thornton Police Department tip line at 720-977-5069.

The Thornton Police Department, its victim services unit, and its co-responder team are available to provide support and can be reached at 720-977-5150 or by calling 911 in an emergency.

Colorado Crisis Services

click here

Flowers sit at the doors of the Montbello Recreation Center, which is now closed until further notice.

The Denver Police Department said a teenage boy was shot and killed inside the recreation center Thursday night. Family identified him as 14-year-old Mikail Nasir Khalid Payne.

Police say another juvenile was arrested in connection to the shooting and is being held for investigation of first-degree murder.

Watch Denver7's Adria Iraheta's report in the video below:

A verified GoFundMe from his uncle shows Payne was "standing up for his brother during an altercation and did not initiate violence" when the other teen shot him point-blank. Denver7 reached out to DPD to verify these details but has yet to hear back.

The tragedy left neighbors stunned and the community shaken.

"We've had a safe haven be violated," Dr. Joel Hodge said.

Hodge is the co-founder of the Struggle of Love Foundation, an organization on a mission to empower youth and prevent violence.

"We're supposed to be able to go in the rec center, swim and play basketball," Hodge said. "And we're in there dealing with a shooting, a homicide of a kid."

The shooting comes days before the launch of the foundation's "Let's Make It Home Safe" campaign, aimed at preventing youth violence.

"We're going to try to give out some bracelets, there's stuff that you can keep on yourself to remind yourself to say 'no, let me calm down, let me just walk this off,'" Hodge said.

The reality hits close to home for many in the neighborhood.

Daniel Galicia, who lives in the area, said he regularly brings his nephew to the rec center to work on his basketball skills.

"It's kind of discouraging to hear," Galicia said. "It's something that you don't want to see, like your nephew has to deal with this kind of, you know, worry.

DPD told Denver7 they will have extra patrols in the area following the shooting.

Community organizations say they are working alongside law enforcement on next steps.

"We're working hand in hand with [Denver] District Five and DPD to find out the future of how we will respond to the rec center reopening," Hodge said.

The Struggle of Love Foundation remains committed to its calling in the wake of the tragedy.

"Until the higher powers call me home, I'll be doing this for the rest of my life, because this is my mission," Hodge said. "Let's just all please make it home safe.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

WELD COUNTY, Colo. A Weld County man was sentenced after he was convicted of assaulting a woman he was dating and holding her captive with chains in his trailer before she was able to escape, the Weld County Sheriff's Office said Friday morning.

He basically set up a murder room, said Deputy District Attorney Amy Petri Beard with the 19th Judicial District Attorney's Office. She believed she was going to die that night. She believed he was going to follow through with his plan to kill her. This is the plot of a horror movie, but it was a real-life nightmare for this victim.

The defendant, Tory Hammond, 41, was sentenced to 96 years to life in prison on Thursday.

According to the facts presented in court, just after 6 a.m. on Oct. 12, 2021, patrol deputies with the Weld County Sheriff's Office responded to a call about suspicious activity on Weld County Road 6.

The 911 caller told authorities they had stopped on the road after seeing a naked woman walking with chains wrapped around her neck and arms, the sheriff's office said.

Deputies arrived, followed shortly afterward by detectives.

The woman provided a traumatic account of what had led to her current situation. She explained that she had been living with Hammond whom she was dating at the time in a semi-truck trailer. They had been seeing each other for about a month, according to the district attorney's office. The trailer was parked in an industrial lot near Highway 85 and Weld County Road 6.

"The victim reported Hammond held her against her will in the truck trailer, brutally sexually and physically assaulted her for several hours, and threatened her with a firearm," the sheriff's office said. "The victim recounted to detectives that Hammond placed a tow chain around her neck and wrists and attached the chain to a table."

At one point, Hammond used a power drill to drill into the victims leg, the district attorney's office said.

"Hammond fell asleep and the victim passed out after hours of trauma," the sheriff's office said. "She woke up and realized the tow chain was no longer secured to the table leg."

The woman ran from the trailer with the chains still wrapped around her. Good Samaritans who spotted her stopped to help and called 911.

Deputies went to the trailer and found Hammond in a vehicle outside. He was arrested. At the time of the attack, Hammond was on parole for an assault case out of Jefferson County and a stalking case from Boulder County.

Authorities obtained a search warrant for the trailer.

In April 2024, Hammond pleaded not guilty to 23 counts.

After a two-part jury trial in October 2025, he was convicted of several assault counts, sexual assault, felony menacing, retaliating against a witness or victim, and drug-related charges, court documents show.

On Thursday, Weld County District Court Judge Annette Kundelius sentenced Hammond to 96 years to life in prison.

I didnt think I was going to make it out of this alive, the victim told the judge during Thursdays sentencing. When this happened, part of me was taken that Ill never get back.

Judge Kundelius told the defendant that the facts of the case were disturbing.

What youve put her through I dont know that you can make up a worse story about what youve done to somebody. You are a danger to this community," she said.

Weld County Sheriffs Office Patrol Capt. Matt Turner praised his office and the district attorney's office for the thorough investigation into this case.

"I am grateful to see it prosecuted to the fullest extent possible," he said. "Our thoughts remain with the victim, and we sincerely hope she can find comfort, closure, and continued healing now that this case has come to an end."

UPDATE | Friday 11:26 a.m. A juvenile male suspect was arrested in connection with this shooting. He is being held for investigation of first-degree murder. The Denver District Attorneys Office will determine formal charges.

The Denver Police Department is actively investigating this as a homicide and a juvenile suspect has been arrested, said DPD Police Chief Ron Thomas. While the investigation is ongoing, the incident appears isolated as the parties were known to each other. We ask the community to keep the victims family, loved ones and the entire Montbello community in their thoughts.

Montbello Recreation Center is closed until further notice.

...

DENVER One person, a juvenile male, is dead after a shooting near the Montbello Recreation Center, police said Thursday evening.

The boy was pronounced dead on the scene, according to police.

The shooting occurred in the 15000 block of E. 53rd Avenue, Denver police announced in a post around 8 p.m.

Police said investigators are working to develop suspect information and asked anyone with information to call Crime Stoppers at 720-913-7867.

A Heritage High School student was arrested Thursday after police said they received information that the student had made "threats of violence" against the school, according to a release from Littleton police.

Police said they worked closely with school resource officers "to quickly assess the credibility of the threat."

Police did not disclose any details about the nature of the alleged threats.

The investigation is active and ongoing, and police said no further information would be released at this time.

Littleton PD is coordinating with the 23rd Judicial District Attorney's Office and Littleton Public Schools, according to the release.

An Aurora man served nearly four months longer than state law allows and was released a month after a landmark Colorado Supreme Court ruling found that cities cannot hand out tougher sentences than the state for the same crimes.

Records show Tajuddin Ashaheeds case became the first to test how Aurora would respond to the unanimous state Supreme Court ruling from People v. Camp and Simons.

"It indicated to me that my sentence was illegal and I could get it vacated," Ashaheed said.

Watch Denver7 senior investigative reporter Jennifer Kovaleski's story in the video below:

Aurora court records show a jury convicted Ashaheed on two counts of harassment, which is a city ordinance domestic violence violation, for posting a photo to his X account of him with a bullet in his mouth during an online dispute with an ex-girlfriend. 

On June 17, 2025, a municipal judge gave him the city's maximum sentence of 364 days. At the time, that sentence was consistent with Aurora's municipal code. It was only after the Colorado Supreme Court's ruling later that year that sentences like his became unlawful.

It was considered a threat, and the judge didn't take too kindly to it and gave me a year, Ashaheed said of his charges.

When asked whether his conduct justified the maximum sentence, Ashaheed was direct.

"No, not at all," he said.

Soon after the Supreme Courts decision came down, his public defender filed a motion to correct an illegal sentence in Aurora City Court. 

"I knew that the consequences would be pretty big because it meant that not only was my sentence illegal, but that a lot of people's sentences were illegal," Ashaheed said.

After weeks of legal back and forth, records show a judge agreed, ordering his release at the end of January. But by then, Ashaheed had already served 229 days for a crime the state says should carry a maximum of no more than 120.

"I can't get that time back," he said.

Denver7 Investigates reported last month how the ruling is already upending cases statewide, changing hundreds in Aurora alone after a previous city council pushed a tough-on-crime agenda. Ashley Cordero, one of the attorneys behind the Colorado Supreme Court ruling, said Aurora stood out.

"Aurora, more than any other jurisdiction, was one where I was observing actually imposing these disproportionately harsher sentences," Codero said in a previous interview with Denver7 Investigates.

Newly obtained court records confirm Ashaheed was one of three inmates Aurora said were potentially serving harsher sentences when the ruling came down and filed motions with the court to have their sentences changed.  

Court notices obtained by Denver7 Investigates also show Aurora is cutting suspended sentences in hundreds of active cases to match state limits. In case after case, the city is filing joint notices to make clear future jail time cannot exceed those maximums.

Ashaheed has a message for Aurora's leaders.

"You have a lot of work ahead of you to unravel a lot of laws and policies that have not served the people," he said.

The Colorado Freedom Fund and the American Civil Liberties Union recently sent letters to more than 50 city councils urging them to rewrite sentencing codes quickly or risk "a flood of criminal appeals and the possibility of civil lawsuits."

Dana Steiner, policy counsel for the Colorado Freedom Fund, said the scope of the problem is statewide.

"This isn't something that is impacting just a couple of folks. This isn't something that is impacting just a couple of jurisdictions. This is impactful for Coloradans across the state," Steiner said.

Steiner added the urgency is clear.

"Cities need to take action," she said.

Aurora has stopped handing out harsher sentences, but the city's criminal code still has not been formally brought in line with state law. City leaders say that update is in the works. 

Ashaheed said he is considering a civil lawsuit to hold the city publicly accountable for what happened in his case.

"I lost time with my family my daughter, especially my granddaughter," he said.