DENVER "Increased smoke and flaring" may be visible at the Suncor refinery in Commerce City as staff restart operations following a power outage, the company said Monday afternoon.

A notification, which was issued at 1:05 p.m., reads, "No action by the public is required."

A third-party electrical power issue knocked out the power at Suncor in Commerce City.

"There will be increased flaring while we work to restart our operations, which may include increased noise and visible smoke," the company said. "Flaring is an important safety measure and environmental control tool that keeps our facilities running safely."

It said that a community air monitoring network did not detect any air levels about "above acute health reference guidelines during this event."

On May 8, Suncor also warned about a similar situation, writing in an alert "Due to continuing startup activities following maintenance work, increased smoke and flaring may be visible at Commerce City operations."

DENVER Saturday marked a special day for Colorado soccer fans.

Fans not only got to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Colorado Rapids' first home game, but also got to watch greatness on display as Lionel Messi took the field for Inter Miami for the first time in Colorado.

WATCH: Denver7's Tyler Melito talked with fans ahead of the big game

Despite a 2-0 deficit at the half, Colorado scored two goals in a matter of minutes to tie the game.

But in the 79th minute, Messi scored his second goal of the game to give Inter Miami the 3-2 victory.

To say the game exceeded fan expectations might be an understatement.

"I've had tickets since Day One, and this is, like, the most exciting day so far," said Michael Armbruscer, a fan from Colorado.

Armbruscer attended Saturday's match with his grandson, Michael Quintana.

"I like the sport of soccer, but with with the amount of people here, definitely shows the impact the sport has had throughout like especially in Colorado, for the last 30 years," Quintana said.

But even the youngest of Rapids fans like Graham Gilbert and Sebastian Cortez are high on this squad.

"We have young talent... our people, like, pass to each other... They don't hog them ball," Gilbert said.

"Our coach has some experience for the young talent so they can coach. Matt [Wells] can help us with the MLS Cup," Cortez said.

Still, the majority of fans came to see one player: Lionel Messi.

"He's my favorite player," James Kristan, who came to the game with his dad Nick, said.

It is not lost on the father-son duo from Denver the magnitude of Messi.

"It's just cool... to see a player of that magnitude in our lifetime is a treat and we're blessed to be here," Nick said.

Plans were made to attend this match long in advance.

"Ever since I saw the schedule come out, and when I saw that Messi was coming here, I was like, I am canceling all my plans, I'm gonna save up all my money and come to argue, be in one of, if not the best sports environments on the planet," Quintana said.

For youth players like Grasyon Hubble from Castle Rock, what makes Messi so mesmerizing is simple.

"Probably the power on his left foot," Hubble said.

It wasn't just Colorado soccer fans who were excited to see No. 10 in pink. Take Eli and David Spring, who flew in Friday for this game.

"This is as close as he gets to Tulsa, Oklahoma," David said. "So we hopped on a plane to catch his favorite player."

COMMERCE CITY, Colo. The U.S. Womens National Team is playing in Commerce City for the second consecutive year, drawing soccer fans from across the country and bringing excitement to the Denver metro area.

Sophia Wilson, a forward for the national team who grew up in Windsor, Colo., said playing in front of friends and family on this stage is an unforgettable experience. She is also thrilled to see Denver land a women's professional soccer team.

"I think this city has always been a women's sports city," Wilson said. "I think they've just needed a team to come support, and now they have one, I hope that you know that amount of people keep showing up throughout the whole season, and it's just,it's great for women's soccer all over."

WATCH: Denver7's Tyler Melito reports from Dick's Sporting Goods Park ahead of the match

Local businesses tell Denver7 they welcome all soccer to Dick's Sporting Goods Park, whether it is Team USA, the Rapids or youth soccer.

Despite the cold, Dustin Chiappetta, founder of Carmellas, said the match is a chance to connect with the community, especially with Friday's freeze.

"That's the time that you really get to be a part of the community, in a spot where everybody wants to go to because it is a little bit colder, it's just a little bit easier to come in or get the free delivery, whatever that might be, right?" Chiappetta said.

The power of the team carries a lot of weight for fans, who traveled from places like New Jersey and El Paso, Texas, to see the best female soccer players in the U.S.

"It's just like fun to, like, get out of school once in a while and just like, go watch your favorite soccer team," New Jersey native Avery Hearn said.

Another fan who flew in from out of town said the event also represented quality time with family.

"It's an opportunity for us to have, like, a special time with my daughter and to celebrate soccer," Dan Vaughn, whose family flew from El Paso, said.

One fan who spoke with Denver7 follows the team around the world from Australia to France  and plans to go to Brazil next year.

"I love what [the USWNT] stand[s] for and how they fight for women and equality in sports and pay," Roxanne Converse-Whitling, a fan from the Nebraska said. "I love all the things it represents and all the things that it does for young girls."

COMMERCE CITY, Colo. - While officers swarmed into Adams City High School on March 11, a large crowd of parents gathered, waiting. Many were panicked for their kids' safety.

"Parents should know immediately, as soon as something happens," Amanda Rodriguez told Denver7 that day, frustrated by the lack of response from the school district.

WATCH: Denver7's Danielle Kreutter takes parents' concerns to district officials

Another parents was seen driving up to the scene, begging the police officers to tell them what was going on.

In the end, what was first reported as an active shooter turned out to be a hoax.

Parents told Denver7 that it took way too long for them to hear that from the school district. In some cases, Denver7 news crews were letting families know that police were reporting no one was hurt.

"More transparency, definitely more communication and more upfrontness," Adams 14 mother, Brandi Valdez said that day.

Denver7 took the concerns from parents to the school district.

"We tried to be as communicative as possible, given the limitations that we had with what we could put out there as approved by law enforcement," Joseph Salazar, chief legal counsel of Adams 14, said.

The district insists they used their family notification system called ALMA to share what they could, as soon as they could.

"I can't imagine that there's not a parent who signed up with ALMA; they're all signed up," Salazar said.

Salazar and other district officials were among the crowd the day of the incident.

Denver7's Danielle Kreutter asked about the discrepancy between district officials saying they did everything they could and parents saying they feel like they didn't have enough information.

"I don't think it's so much a discrepancy as it is the urgency of the moment," Salazar said. "People are panicked, and they have every right to be panicked. I mean, we're talking about their kids. But I don't think there's a discrepancy. I think it's just a matter of chasing the information on all the platforms that you're signed up on and learning what is happening on those platforms."

He said they also sent out emails and posted to their social media.

"We had a post briefing of the situation and communications is something that we're always willing to to improve," he said. "How can we best get information out there to people? I know that Commerce City Police Department also has evaluated their response and their communication response to community."

When Denver7 in April sat back down with Valdez, a parent, she said she doesn't think parents should have to work that hard during a crisis.

"Sending emails out in the middle of a crisis wasn't the best way to communicate either, because people were getting a lot of their information from the police department on Facebook, students that were in the building and other parents that were around getting information from their kids," she said.

She said she and other concerned parents don't quite agree with the timeline of communication put out by the school district.

"I think that now that we know where some of these breakdowns can occur, now we can go forward and try to make them better," Valdez said.

While the district didn't have any immediate plans to change their communication strategy, they did say they're open to it.

"It will always be an ongoing project to better communications for the community, possibly text messaging. I had heard that parents weren't getting text messages, so that might be something that we could take a look at, but once again, it's going to be the same information that they're getting on emails and through Alma and other other platforms," Salazar said.

Adams 14 reports that approximately 20% of Adams City High School contacts do not have email addresses registered with ALMA. They note that it's possible part of that number includes a household with multiple contacts and only one is signed up for alerts. If families need to update their contact information they can do so at their school or contact the district's registration department at studentrecords@adams14.org or 303-853-3300.

The school district also shared data with Denver7 from their 2024-25 parent and community survey. Of the 177 guardians who took the survey, about 70% said they felt informed about what is going on in their student's school.

The next survey will launch May 2026. The district says they invite community members and families to participate. That survey link will be posted on Adams 14 social media pages as soon as it's published.

COMMERCE CITY, Colo. While communities in the Denver metro have cut ties with the controversial license plate reader company Flock Safety, one police department is expanding their partnership with them.

Commerce City Police Department's Real Time Crime Center and Drones as First Responders program launched a few months ago, and since then, they said it's been a game changer.

Watch this story in the video player below:

"Fourteen percent of the calls [for service] during the month of March for the Commerce City Police Department's patrol division were cleared by drones allowing for officers to go and engage in other activities," said Commander Jeremy Jenkins.

Also in March, their four drones launched 391 times for various calls for service.

Flock supplies the city's more than two dozen license plate readers, 11 so-called Point To Zoom stationary cameras on public right of ways, and the soon to be 6 total drones after funding was recently approved to expand the program. Those six drones will collectively be able to cover the entire city when launched.

It's that type of growing combination of surveillance in Colorado communities that concerns the American Civil Liberties Union.

"When we really amplify surveillance technology to that scale, we're really toeing that line of whether or not the Fourth Amendment is being infringed upon when we're using all of these various types of surveillance technology," said Anaya Robinson, Public Policy Director at the ACLU of Colorado.

It's that vast reach that Commerce City PD argues is exactly what makes these such effective crime fighting tools.

They report they've used drones to avoid dangerous high speed chases, cut response times and find wanted or missing people quickly.

Similar stories have been reported from other police departments that have since ended their Flock contracts.

When asked what Commerce City was doing differently that made the department confident to continue their partnership with Flock, Jenkins said Commerce City decides who is going to see their information.

"We own the information that is gathered by these devices. We do not share information outside of the state of Colorado," he said. "One of the main reasons for that is, we know that any agency that utilizes Flock technology within the state of Colorado is following the same legal guidelines that we're held to, so there's no question where that data is going is going to be used within the same legal guidelines that we're required to operate within."

He also said they do not share their data with any federal agency.

The police department notes none of their Flock technology is used to proactively surveil, it's only used specifically after an actual call for service.

"Anytime a drone leaves a dock in the city, it's recorded. If it's for an actual call for service, if it's a training flight for operators, if it's a demonstration, every one of the flights is recorded and it's stored per our retention policies for digital evidence here," he said. "Like anything else, when we generate a body camera file, if it's non-evidentiary in value, it's retained for 30 days in case we need to go back for whatever reason. After 30 days, the systems automatically purge that data."

The ACLU acknowledges that there could be a legitimate purpose for those types of technology, but as communities decide whether or not to use them, they argue there's something important that should happen first.

"Meaningful regulation is what is absolutely necessary in this space. Too few governments, whether it's at the national level, the state level or the municipal level, are not looking at those regulations, oftentimes meaningfully enough to impose them before they start engaging in a contract with a different vendor," said Robinson.

COMMERCE CITY, Colo. - For Ruth King, her house in Commerce City has always been home.

"My mom bought this house back in, like, about 1953," she said.

Since then, members of the King family have moved in and out; they've celebrated holidays and helped each other through hard times. At her age, it's not been easy to keep up the home.

"It's been very hard. Very, very, very hard," said King.

WATCH: Denver7's Danielle Kreutter reports on one nonprofit working toward a solution to help seniors age in place

Hard began to feel impossible when the furnace broke and the roof started failing.

"It was flooding in the back," she remembered. "These are big expenses that I couldn't I'd have to sell the house. But they were necessities."

She was able to get in contact with Brothers Redevelopment Inc. and their home modification and repair program.

"We're looking at issues now statewide with older adult homelessness, and we don't want that," Program Director Jason McCullough said.

The affordable housing nonprofit also works to prevent homelessness before people are even at risk. They cover the cost of important repairs to keep seniors like King in their homes.

"Staying in your home longer allows you more independence, more comfort. You live longer, you're overall happier, and it's honestly less strain on society itself, because you're more independent," McCullough said.

Brothers Redevelopment works with local municipalities to find funding and get the work done.

King now has a new furnance, new A/C, a new electrical panel and a new roof.

"How much did I have to pay? Zip. Zero. I have nothing but gratitude and thankfulness," she said. "I surely didn't want the house to go."

McCullough said they're happy to help families in need, but as a nonprofit, they need support themselves.

"Now is the time for communities to come together and decide how they want to see their neighborhoods continue. Is it gonna be: tear it down and put up condo buildings? Or is it going to be: maintain the culture and the community you have," he said.

To learn more about Brothers Redevelopment's aging in place resources, click here. People can also visit ColoradoHousingConnects.org for more resources.

UPDATE | April 3, 2026 The Commerce City Police Department posted an update online, saying that they need to check the background of anybody who requests a ride-along.

"The tone of the original post was meant to bring attention to that policy, not to dismiss anyones humanity," the post reads.

...

COMMERCE CITY, Colo.  Commerce City Police officials were baffled when a man with an active warrant and a long criminal record came to their office seeking a job.

But the only uniform issued that day was an orange one.

In a cheeky Facebook video post on Thursday, the department reminded applicants of its hiring policy: If you have six pages worth of criminal history (including habitual traffic offenses and domestic violence) and an active warrant for your arrest, we're not gonna hire you.

Commerce City police wrote that the CCPD hopeful went ahead and boldly applied to do a ride-along with our agency anyway.

Watch the video in the player below

However, the applicant didnt make it very far in the hiring process, and instead of the department adding a recruit to the ranks, it added the man to its jail roster after he was taken into custody on his active warrant.

As he was escorted to booking, police said he asked if his arrest would hurt his job chances.

While we admire the passion and persistence, buddy, we have a feeling the only pair of handcuffs you'll be getting are the ones around your wrists, the Facebook post said.

COMMERCE CITY, Colo. The Commerce City Police Department responded to Adams City High School for an "incident" and confirmed no reported injuries, the department said Wednesday afternoon.

Joanna Small, spokesperson for the Commerce City Police Department, explained that the department initially responded to the school, which is located at 7200 Quebec Parkway, for a bomb threat and possible shots fired.

"That hasn't turned out to be the case," Small said.

About 200 police officers from around the Denver metro area cleared the school and did not find any threats. They did not find anybody with injuries.

"We're going through a very long, arduous process of clearing every single one of those rooms, the fields, all the public and common areas, and we're doing that more than once," Small explained.

Adams City High School was locked down initially. Adams County School District 14 said Lester Arnold High School was also on lockdown due to law enforcement at Adams City High School.

When asked about rumors about blood on the floor of the school, Small said she believes that was found in a locker room, but it is unrelated to this case. That remains under investigation.

Small also said a student who was inside the school was sleeping at the time police arrived and was surprised and initially not complying with the officers. That student was briefly detained until officers determined he was not connected with the bomb threat. He has been released to a parent.

"We just appreciate your patience," Small said, when asked about parents' frustration. "We're working with the school district to make sure our messaging is unified. It's a very tenuous situation. We have to be very careful about what we release, because we don't want to scare people unintentionally. Right now, we don't know whether or not this was a perceived or a real threat, but we haven't found anything to indicate that it was a real threat."

COMMERCE CITY, Colo. The Commerce City Police Department is rolling out a new way to crack down on speeding. Starting this month, drivers could see an unmanned Jeep parked in neighborhoods and school zones equipped with speed cameras that automatically issue tickets.

Commerce City police say theyve heard repeated complaints from neighbors about drivers speeding through residential streets and school zones.

Speeding is definitely a big issue in the city and does lead to quite a few crashes, said Commerce City Police Department Traffic Unit Sgt. AJ Aguilar.

CCPD has come up with what they feel is a solution, a new enforcement tool designed to slow drivers down.

In neighborhoods across Commerce City, complaints about speeding cars keep coming.

They are going pretty fast. There are kids walking through here in the morning and afternoon, said Saul Tamariz, Cocols Auto Sales owner.

Saul Tamariz owns Cocols Auto Sales and says drivers regularly fly past his business, which is located in a school zone. A couple every day. It's just kind of annoying, Tamariz said.

Denver7 took those concerns to Commerce City police.

Speeding is definitely a problem throughout the city and throughout the state, Aguilar said. Last year overall, with patrol and traffic, we issued around 8,000 traffic tickets. A majority of them, I would say, are usually for speeding.

To address those concerns, Sergeant AJ Aguilar with the Commerce City Police Department says the department is introducing an unmanned speed enforcement vehicle equipped with cameras.

It's going to be a Jeep that's going to be posted in mostly residential construction zones and school zones, Aguilar said.

Heres how it works. The car, which is parked on either side of the road or in a median, uses radar to measure a cars speed. If a car is going too fast, it takes a picture of both the driver and the license plate. A citation is then generated and later reviewed by officers.

It's hard for officers to get into those locations quickly enough. This is going to give us a chance to set up beforehand for the places that have those common reoccurrences of complaints, Aguilar said.

Citations will be mailed to the registered owner of the car. For the first 30 days, warnings will be issued. Starting in April, it will change to tickets. But police say the goal isnt revenue, its about prevention.

Tamariz heard about the changes coming his way, and he says hes on board. If we could save, in the future, somebody's life or somebody from not getting hurt, I think it's a great idea, Tamariz said.

The Speed Jeep will rotate locations, likely daily, in areas with repeated complaints. Commerce City police say to reach out to them via email at trafficcomplaints@c3gov.com if you think your street needs the Speed Jeep.

The death of a 23-year-old woman Thursday morning is being investigated as a homicide, according to the Commerce City Police Department.

It happened in a residential complex off Interstate 70 and N. Velasquez Boulevard.

Around 4:30 a.m. Thursday, a passer-by discovered a young woman dead on the sidewalk with apparent head trauma, Commerce City police said.

Detectives are asking the public to avoid the area if possible as they investigate.

COMMERCE CITY, Colo. A Brighton dad had consumed at least two cans of beer before he got behind the wheel and caused a crash that killed his daughter last week, according to an affidavit obtained by Denver7 Wednesday.

Commerce City police responded to the single-vehicle rollover crash on eastbound I-76 and US 85 shortly before 11 p.m. on Feb. 12 after witnesses reported seeing a white truck driving erratically on the road.

At the scene, police found the truck in a the field on the south side of I-76 and a body covered with a white blanket close to the driver side of the vehicle.

Inside the truck, responding officers found what appeared to be an empty Modelo 6 pack box along with two unopened cans of Modelo beer one inside the truck, the other outside on the passenger side, according to the arrest affidavit.

A witness who spoke to police at the scene said the truck passed her on the left in a dirt lane. It then appeared to pop a tire and went toward a fence which the witness described as a wall.

Another witness said the truck swerved several times prior to the crash and noticed the white trucks tire pop. The witness told police she saw the truck try to get back on the roadway before it drove toward the fence, arresting documents show.

A third witness told police he only saw the white truck go off the roadway but did not see the crash. He said he went to check out the crash, where he found 39-year-old Aaron Aguirre-Garay, who was lying on the truck bed.

He said Aguirre-Garay gave him his wifes number and stated to police that while he was no expert, he thought that Garay smelled like alcohol, the affidavit states. Aguirre-Garay was then taken to a hospital where police then contacted the victims mother.

She told officers she had been talking with her daughter on the phone prior to the crash and that her daughter told her she was done with league practice at Regis University. The woman told officers her daughter asked her when she would get home so they could pick up pizza for dinner, according to the affidavit.

The woman then told officers her son dropped her daughter off and that her husband, who she identified as Aguirre-Garay, was supposed to pick her up.

She then told officers that Aguirre-Garay had been working earlier in the day and went to a friends house in Hudson afterward to help out a friend with a car issue near I-76. The woman told police Garay dropped the friend off and then went to Regis University to pick up their daughter.

A Commerce City officer then interviewed Aguirre-Garay at the hospital. During the interview, the officer said he noticed that Aguirre-Garays speech sounded slurred and sounded like he had a thick tongue, according to the affidavit.

I looked at [Aguirre-Garays] eyes, and they were bloodshot and watery with a pink/reddish color around the whites of his eyes, arresting documents show.

The officer said he could also get a hint of a unknown alcoholic beverage while talking to him and that Aguirre-Garay did not make much eye contact during the interview.

The suspect told police he initially drank a couple beers, then like a six pack, later telling the officer he had consumed three or four beers, then one" where his friends car had broken-down, "one or two at friends house, and finally "two beers total before picking up his daughter from Regis University, the affidavit shows.

Aguirre-Garay then refused field sobriety tests and also refused a blood draw when requested by police.

The suspect, who was arrested the next day, is now facing several charges including vehicular homicide, child abuse causing death, driving under the influence, and reckless driving.

An 18-year-old died, and another was seriously hurt after a car crash that engulfed the vehicle in flames in the early morning hours on Sunday in Erie, the Erie Police Department said.

Just after 12 a.m. Sunday, Erie police officers were called to a single-vehicle crash on Erie Parkway where they found the car on fire. Officers extricated the driver and a passenger from the vehicle. The driver, an 18-year-old man from Commerce City, was taken to a nearby hospital where he was later pronounced dead.

The passenger was also an 18-year-old man from Commerce City. He was taken to the hospital with serious injuries, according to Erie police.

The initial investigation into what happened found the driver was speeding on eastbound Erie Parkway when it crossed the median into westbound lanes and hit and a bridge guardrail, damaging part of the bridge.

Erie Parkway was closed in both directions from Colliers Boulevard to Ambrose Street until around 9 a.m. Sunday. This was the second serious wreck in this area over the weekend, according to Erie police.

ADAMS COUNTY, Colo. A 4yearold boy who was the subject of an Amber Alert Friday evening was safely recovered after the boy's father, accused of kidnapping the child, barricaded himself inside a random Commerce City home, according to police.

The suspect, Jeremy Chavez, was taken into custody around midnight, police said. He could face charges including second-degree burglary, child abuse, reckless endangerment, second-degree kidnapping, vehicular eluding, second-degree motor vehicle theft and domestic violence, police said.

We have removed the boy's name and photo from this story.

This started with an Amber Alert on Friday evening and ended with the suspect barricading in a home in Commerce City with the boy. Joanna Small, public information officer with the Commerce City Police Department, said the suspect is the boy's biological father.

According to the Amber Alert, which was issued around 6:30 p.m., the 4-year-old was "forcibly removed from his residence" by 45-year-old Chavez. The boy has "medical impairments," the alert reads, and requires medication that he does not have with him. Chavez is "known to be violent" and it is "unknown if he is armed," CBI said.

Hours later, the Commerce City Police Department told Denver7 they believed Chavez had forced his way into a home near E. 109th Avenue and Jasper Street, creating a barricade situation. The homeowners or renters, who were inside, fled out of the house and were safe.

Denver7's Claire Lavezzorio was at that scene late Friday night.

"Jeremy, come out of the house with your hands up. You are under arrest by Commerce City police," Lavezzorio heard police say over the loudspeaker at the scene.

In a brief press conference Friday night, Small explained that authorities were able to locate the stolen pickup truck and use stop sticks to bring it to a halt, but "no individuals were inside the vehicle when we recovered it. She confirmed the truck was recovered near the home around 109th and Jasper, which is why they suspected it was Chavez who was inside the home.

Denver7's Claire Lavezzorio asked if police would change their approach if they learned the boy was inside the home.

One hundred percent," Small answered. "If its a hostage situation, its going to be very different than if its just an individual in the house by himself. Without us having that information, we have to work the situation very carefully.

As of 11:45 p.m. Friday, they had not yet been able to confirm that.

Small said around midnight, Chavez, who was indeed in the home, was taken into custody. No other details about that are available.

The boy, who was also in the house, is safe.

UPDATE | Feb. 17 The Commerce City Police Department confirmed that the passenger who died in this single-car crash was a juvenile. The man who was driving at the time is now facing several charges, including vehicular homicide, DUI, reckless driving and child abuse resulting in death. Police say he has been identified as Aaron Aguirre.

...

COMMERCE CITY, Colo. Police are investigating what led to a fatal crash on Interstate 76 in Commerce City on Thursday evening.

A driver crashed in the area and the vehicle rolled over. One person was killed and a second person was transported to a hospital. No other vehicles were involved.

The police department said the eastbound lanes of I-76, which run northeast in this area, were shut down at Highway 85.

"Please avoid the area, and as we always say when we have to deliver tragic news like this to you keep those involved in your thoughts tonight; we certainly are," the police department said.

No other details were available on Thursday evening.

COMMERCE CITY, Colo.  Accessory dwelling units, or ADUs, are now allowed throughout Commerce City. Officials say this will help address housing needs, while some residents are cautious about what this growth could mean for their neighborhoods.

ADUs can be additions to a home, basement apartments, or even a separate structure in the backyard. City leaders say this move is part of a bigger plan to address a growing housing shortage.

The accessory dwelling units are one piece of the puzzle in filling that gap, said Mike Sutherland, Commerce City community development director.

There are 18,000 single-family homes in the city that are now able to build ADUs on their property.

Sutherland says the city needs more affordable housing.

Lower-income renters can afford about half the required rents in Commerce City, said Sutherland.

However, not everyone is fully on board. Some homeowners say that while ADUs could bring opportunity, they also bring concerns.

I have a house here, and it would be great to have an ADU if I ever wanted to rent it out, but I do feel like it's already very crowded. It would be tough to have a lot more people move into the neighborhood, as well as just general noise or people around, said Veronica, a Commerce City homeowner.

Denver7s Sophia Villalba took those concerns to the city and asked what could be done about potentially seeing more parking and about noise complaints if they occur.

We do have laws in place regarding noise, so they're always welcome to call code enforcement or the police. Parking is usually a concern for these types of units, but the state law prevents cities from requiring extra parking for these structures, said Sutherland.

One Commerce City resident left a question on Facebook, asking whether this new ADU rule supersedes HOAs.

Commerce City responded, saying, as part of a state mandate, ADUs are still allowed in homes with an HOA.

Last year, Denver7 covered a new statewide law that went into effect, making it easier for homeowners to consider building an ADU on their property.

Across Colorado, ADUs generally must be allowed anywhere else that other detached dwellings are allowed. The law also places limits on what local governments can restrict for the project.

While ADUs are just one piece of the puzzle, Sutherland says the city council is expected to continue working on a broader housing action plan sometime this year.

An investigation is underway into a domestic disturbance that ended with one person dead Monday morning, the Brighton Police Department said.

A shelter-in-place order was issued Sunday night into Monday morning after a man barricaded himself inside a home in the neighborhood. Beldock Street was closed between Chavez Street and Sandoval Street as part of the law enforcement response.

A domestic disturbance involving weapons was reported to Brighton police Sunday around 8:20 p.m.

A 48-year-old man barricaded himself inside a home there, according to Brighton police. Officers tried to talk with the suspect. The Commerce City-Brighton Combined SWAT Team and crisis negotiators worked to communicate with the suspect as well.

While law enforcement tried to make contact him, the suspect fired several shots at officers. Law enforcement did not return fire, and no one was injured in the exchange, according to Brighton police.

Officers ended up entering the home after several hours attempting to get the suspect to leave the building safely. Brighton police said they found the man dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. His identity will be released once the coroner's office notifies his family.

The shelter-in-place order was lifted around 8:50 a.m. Monday, and Brighton police said there is no ongoing threat to the community.

COMMERCE CITY, Colo. A man accused of domestic violence and kidnapping his son from a Commerce City home has been arrested on several charges.

On Jan. 12, officers with the Commerce City Police Department (CCPD) responded to a call about a disturbance along the 10700 block of Wheeling Drive.

Officers learned that Oswaldo Ruiz, 27, had been sending alarming texts for several days, threatening to hurt his ex-partner and other people in the household, CCPD said.

The situation escalated when Ruiz allegedly kicked in the front door of the home and attacked a family member with a knife, police said. That person's injuries were not life-threatening. Ruiz then broke through another door to a bedroom and kidnapped his 9-year-old son, police said.

He grabbed car keys on his way out so the family could not follow him, CCPD said.

Deputies with the Adams County Sheriff's Office found Ruiz at his home. They tried to contact him, but he fled in a car with his child, police said.

The deputies pursued him into Denver, where he was taken into custody. The boy was not hurt and was reunited with his mother.

Ruiz was arrested on eight charges, including first-degree burglary, aggravated second-degree assault with a weapon, child abuse knowingly or recklessly, first-degree kidnapping (force), eluding a police officer, domestic violence, theft and criminal mischief.

No other details were available.

Colorado State Patrol (CSP) said troopers are searching for a driver who is accused of failing to yield to an emergency vehicle Thursday morning and then hitting a trooper as he left the scene of a traffic stop without permission.

State troopers pulled over a man driving a white four-door BMW on Interstate 76 around 9:09 a.m. Thursday after he allegedly did not move over for a stopped emergency vehicle, as mandated by Colorado. The driver refused to get out of his car when directed by state troopers, CSP said.

The troopers tried to remove him from the vehicle, and in the process, one of the BMW's windows was broken. The driver then reportedly hit one of the troopers with his BMW as he drove away, heading eastbound on I-76, taking the southbound exit onto Sable Boulevard toward 104th Ave., CSP said.

The trooper who was hit got back in his CSP patrol vehicle to follow, but due to weather conditions and speed, he skidded into the highway median. The undercarriage of his patrol car was damaged and he was no longer able to drive it.

He was taken to a nearby hospital to get checked out for non-life threatening injuries. The other trooper involved in the traffic stop went to the hospital as well, out of an abundance of caution.

COMMERCE CITY, Colo. Police in Commerce City are investigating a fatal vehicle-pedestrian crash that occurred Friday night.

Police said a driver of a vehicle struck and killed a pedestrian in the 10500 block of Tower Road.

It happened around 10:30 p.m.

Police have not determined whether the pedestrian was crossing the road at the time of the crash, and the individual's identity has not been released.

The driver of the vehicle involved remained at the scene and is cooperating with investigators, according to police.

Police closed off area streets during the investigation.

COMMERCE CITY, Colo. (AP) The Colorado Rapids hired Tottenham Hotspur assistant Matt Wells as coach to replace Chris Armas.

The Major League Soccer club made the move Tuesday, nearly two months after parting ways with Armas following his two seasons in charge.

Matt brings extensive Champions League, Europa League and Premier League experience, a proven commitment to player development, and a clear, exciting tactical identity we believe will position our players to excel for trophies," Rapids President Pdraig Smith said. "His track record of success and his ambitions aligns with our long-term vision for the club, and we look forward to elevating the club to Championship contention under his leadership.

The 37-year-old Wells was on Tottenhams staff for two-plus seasons. He previously coached in Tottenhams academy system.

Im a very ambitious individual who has been surrounded by elite players and managers for the past seven years, and Im excited to bring my experience and winning mentality to this organization," Wells said. From the very outset of our discussions, it was clear the club shared my ambitions to create something special and compete for the highest honors. Of course, its a difficult decision to leave a team playing Champions League football, but everything about the people and project at Colorado made the choice clear for me.

The Rapids finished 11-15-8 this year, falling short of earning a spot in the MLS Cup playoffs.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/soccer

COMMERCE CITY, Colo.  Nine people were hospitalized after a carbon monoxide incident in Commerce City on Wednesday afternoon.

Around 12:46 p.m., crews with the South Adams County Fire Department (SACFD) responded to a carbon monoxide alarm and reported illnesses at a home near E. 69th Place and Olive Street.

SACFD said when crews arrived, they detected high levels of carbon monoxide within the residence.

Crews evacuated residents of the home and transported nine people to the hospital for medical evaluation.

The incident remains under investigation.

Health officials warn that the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning increases during the colder months, especially around the holidays.

COMMERCE CITY, Colo. Denver7 is listening to the community after Xcel Energy announced Friday it wants to increase electric rates in Colorado by nearly 10% in 2026.

Commerce City resident Lucy Molina told Denver7 it's going to force some families to make difficult choices.

"Do I pay my electric bill, or do I eat?" said Molina.

Robert Kenney, President of Xcel Energy Colorado, told Denver7 Friday that the increase is to recover investments in safety and reliability, like transmission, distribution, and generating facilities the company has made over the past 3 years.

The average residential customer would see their bill increase $9.94 per month if their bill is around $100. The average large commercial customer will see a $14.22 increase per month or 9.48%.

Kenney said the company hasn't requested a significant rate hike from its customers since 2022.

Back in 2022, Denver7 covered unprecedented complaints from Xcel customers about price increases.

Now that a new hike is being proposed, Molina said every expense matters for people in her situation.

"For people with fixed incomes, every dollar counts. Every penny counts for us, right?" she said.

Ean Thomas Tafoya with Green Latinos, a group that advocates for customers, said the rate increase would disproportionately affect those who can least afford it.

"Certainly, energy affordability is a conversation that's happening everywhere," Tafoya said. "The first thought I had was what kind of income qualified programs exist because the sort of thing that we have advocated for at the Public Utilities Commission?"

Xcel told Denver7 that it will expand energy assistance programs alongside this rate increase.

"We're taking steps to enhance our energy assistance programs for our customers that need the help the most, and so we are going to be increasing our percentage of income payment plan program to gain more customers into that program," said Kenney. "We're going to be increasing our targeted support for energy burden seniors, whereby they will receive a reduction of up to $20 a month."

However, customers like Molina worry that some families will still fall through the cracks.

"Why do we have to pay the burden of their costs or their upgrades?" Molina said. "I want to say, when is it enough? You know, when is it enough? Is what I want to ask the president of Xcel."

Xcel filed the rate change request with the Colorado Public Utilities Commission on Friday.

It will undergo a review and public comment process with the PUC and, if passed, could take effect in August of next year.

There is a search underway for at least two suspects accused of burglarizing the Floreria Flor De Luna 3 Flower Shop, the Commerce City Police Department announced Wednesday night.

Last week, at least two men were captured on security camera taking product from the shop at Quebec Street and E. 54th Place. Their faces are not visible, but Commerce City police are asking if anyone recognizes what the men were wearing or the way they walk.

The burglars used a pry bar to break into the business, according to Commerce City police. Once inside, they stole bouquets of flowers and money in the cash register. The flower shop lost thousands of dollars in business, Commerce City police said.

Anyone who recognizes the men are asked to email Investigator Dominick at jdominick@c3gov.com.

COMMERCE CITY, Colo. Police in Commerce City have arrested a driver for possession of meth following a traffic stop.

In a social media post this week, the Commerce City Police Department said a proactive officer stopped the driver for a traffic violation when in plain view the officer spotted drug paraphernalia.

That gave him probable cause to search the rest of the vehicle, a spokesperson with the police department said.

Don't be driving around our city with a car full of meth, the means to sell it, and two handguns, one of which was reported stolen, the post read.

The driver was arrested on possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance (methamphetamine) and unlawful possession of a controlled substance special offender.

The suspect who has not been identified was taken to the Adams County Jail.

Don't. Do. It. Here, the spokesperson said. We've made it our mission to get your stolen guns and deadly drugs out of our community.

More than two dozen law enforcement agencies executed nine search warrants early Wednesday across the Front Range, leading to five arrests and the dismantlement of an alleged organized crime ring, according to Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty.

Law enforcement officers, led by the Boulder County District Attorneys Office, targeted locations in Boulder and Adams counties, as well as the cities of Denver, Westminster, Wheat Ridge, Federal Heights, Johnstown, and Commerce City.

Dougherty said the group was responsible for 26 burglaries, 15 vehicle thefts, and other offenses across Colorado.

The following five people were arrested during Wednesday's operation:

One person, Kimberly Salas, 30, remains at large.

According to a press release, the operation is part of a grand jury investigation that began last year, and the crime ring allegedly stole vehicles, re-titled them using fake documents, and registered them under "MMZ International LLC."

Dougherty said the cars stolen by the suspects were used in garage burglaries and vehicle trespasses. He said the suspects often targeted high-end bicycles and trafficked them to Mexico for resale. They allegedly used bear spray for protection.

"They were breaking into cars and then using stolen cars to commit other crimes. And in some of these cars, they found garage door openers, and they would use those garage door openers to then break into people's garages," Dougherty said during a press conference Wednesday.

The Boulder County DA said the group also possessed distribution-level quantities of methamphetamine and illegal firearms.

Prior attempts to apprehend suspects led to high-speed chases, according to the release.

Four of the suspects face Colorado's Organized Crime Control Act charges, which carry a maximum of 24 years in prison. Two others face lesser charges.

The Boulder County Sheriff's Office said there may be more suspects or victims involved in the crime ring, and urges anyone with information to report it.

A man living at one of the properties searched by authorities Wednesday morning was still shaken up several hours later and reached out to Denver7 to share his experience.

Patrick Oullette, who lives in Adams County, said he used to rent a home on his property to Adrian Martinez until about 18 months ago.

Oullette and his current renter told Denver7 that mail for Martinez is still occasionally delivered to the property. Oullette said he would not have rented to Martinez if he knew he was allegedly involved in a crime ring.

"Kind of surprised me because I always thought he was too lazy to do anything," Oullette told Denver7 Wednesday.

Oullette also expressed concern with how the search was conducted, and that he is upset with the property damage authorities left behind, including a broken truck window and a damaged door. He also took issue with his renter, a young mother, being handcuffed in front of her young son. The renter told Denver7 her son was also still shaken from the experience.

"It took me an hour and a half to get 'em to give me a search warrant," Oullette said. "Im 100% all for law enforcement, but this was horribly mishandled."

COMMERCE CITY, Colo. (AP) Haji Wright scored in the 33rd and 51st minutes off passes from Cristian Roldan, and the United States rallied to beat Australia 2-1 on Tuesday to end the Socceroos' 12-game unbeaten streak on a night Christian Pulisic left the game because of an injury.

Jordan Bos had put the No. 25 Socceroos ahead in the 19th minute on Australia's first shot but Wright equalized just after Pulisic appeared to hurt his right leg.

The 16th-ranked Americans defeated a top 25 opponent for just the second time in 10 matches and improved to 12 wins, seven defeats and one draw since coach Mauricio Pochettino took over.

Wright, who plays for second tier Coventry in England, has 11 goals in 13 games for club and country since August.

"They're putting me in positions to show what I can do and they're allowing me to be expressive in the field," he said. "I'm not just stuck in the No. 9 as a typical striker. I'm allowed to move and be free flowing."

Roldan, a member of the 2022 World Cup roster, returned to the national team last month after a two-year absence.

"My wife and I kept saying that we believe that we can make a late run, make a late push, and hopefully I'm making my case," he said.

Pochettino, who had not won after trailing, has his team together for just four more matches before he calls in players for his pre-World Cup training camp. The U.S. hosts Paraguay on Nov. 18 and Uruguay four days later, then has two more friendlies in March.

Australia had won seven straight games and had been unbeaten since a September 2024 loss to Bahrain in a World Cup qualifier.

Limited by a right ankle injury to a substitute role in Friday's 1-1 tie against Ecuador, Pulisic stumbled to the field when he was tripped by Jason Geria in the 26th minute. After being examined by an athletic trainer, Pulisic left the field and was replaced by Diego Luna in the 30th.

Pochettino said Pulisic appeared to have a hamstring injury, was to be evaluated further Tuesday night and will return to AC Milan on Wednesday.

Australia went ahead after Bos bounced a throw-in that James Sands tried to clear only for the ball to spin into the penalty area. Bos chested the ball to himself, split Roldan and Sands, then beat Chris Richards to the ball and hooked it with his left foot past Matt Freese's outstretched left arm for his second international goal.

Wright tied the score after Richards intercepted a pass and played it to Roldan, who headed the ball to Weston McKennie and then received a return pass. Roldan slid a through ball to Wright, who took a touch with his left foot and with his right lifted the ball over goalkeeper Mathew Ryan from about 10 yards.

Wright got his seventh international goal after Roldan took a quick restart and booted the ball two-thirds of the way down the field and into the penalty area. Wright ran onto the ball after four bounces and cut inside as Cameron Burgess fell, then curled the ball inside the far post with his left foot from about 14 yards.

Ryan blocked Luna's point-blank, 6-yard shot in the 79th.

Pochettino changed six starters, inserting Pulisic, Wright, Roldan and Sands along with defender Mark McKenzie and right wing back Alex Freeman. Tim Weah shifted to left wing back. Sands made his first appearance since July 2023 and Freese his 10th straight start at goalkeeper. Midfielder Malik Tillman did not dress because he felt thigh cramp in training Monday,

Freese stopped Nestory Irankunda's close-range shot in the 90th.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

COMMERCE CITY, Colo. (AP) Christian Pulisic may be available for the United States' friendly against Australia on Tuesday night but Antonee Robinson won't play because of pain in his surgically repaired right knee.

Bothered by a sore ankle, Pulisic didn't start Friday against Ecuador, and the attacking winger entered in the 73rd minute of a 1-1 tie. Coach Mauricio Pochettino said Pulisic participated in Monday's entire training session.

"Hope that tomorrow can be available," Pochettino said. "It's much better than when he arrived."

A 28-year-old left back, Robinson had knee surgery on May 27, two days after Fulham's Premier League finale. He has been limited to three substitute appearances in Fulham's first seven league games this season and played the entirety of a League Cup match against fourth-tier Cambridge United on Sept. 23.

"Antonee is from the beginning of the camp, he's with some small issue in his knee, pain, a little bit pain," Pochettino said. "We are managing him in the best way but still cannot be involved in training and for sure tomorrow cannot be involved in the game. Hope that is not an important thing and come back to his club and can be in a normal way there training and and competing."

Australia, which like Ecuador has qualified for next year's World Cup, beat Canada 1-0 on Friday for its seventh straight win, extending its unbeaten streak to 12 games.

"It's a good opportunity also to keep improving and showing maybe different approaches to the game and maybe to change the system, to change the players," Pochettino said. "It's about to build something that is for the World Cup."

Former U.S. starter Zack Steffen, who plays for Major League Soccer's Colorado Rapids, is not among the four goalkeepers in camp. Pochettino picked current starter Matt Freese along with Matt Turner, Chris Brady and Patrick Schulte.

"All the positions are open," Pochettino said. "He was a little bit unlucky in different camps and tournaments that he was injured. Yes, but for sure he's in our radar and of course if he performs he's going to have the chance to be with us again."

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AP MLS: https://apnews.com/hub/major-league-soccer

COMMERCE CITY, Colo. The Commerce City Police Department has recommended criminal charges against a shuttle bus driver involved in a deadly crash near Denver International Airport in July.

The crash happened around midnight on July 12 at E. 81st Avenue and Tower Road, just west of DIA.

According to police, a pickup truck was traveling southbound on Tower Road when a shuttle bus that was waiting to make a left-hand turn on a flashing yellow arrow at East 81st turned in front of the truck, which had the right-of-way. The truck then struck the shuttle bus.

John Hughes, 77, was killed in the crash, while 10 other people were injured. Hughes' family told Denver7 they had traveled from Oregon to Colorado for a reunion.

The driver and passenger in the truck were taken to the hospital with serious injuries, according to police.

Commerce City PD announced on Friday that it had completed its investigation into the crash and is recommending several charges against the bus driver, Kwame Adjei-Broni. The charges include careless driving causing death, careless driving causing injury and failure to yield.

Investigators will present their findings to the 17th Judicial District Attorney's Office, which will make the final determination regarding charges.

CCPD concluded its release by thanking the public for their patience "as we worked through a very complex investigation.

GREENWOOD VILLAGE, Colo. Two 13-year-old boys died after a crash involving six people on southbound Interstate 25 near Fiddler's Green Amphitheatre in Greenwood Village Thursday evening.

One of the teenage boys was from Henderson, Colorado, and the other was from Commerce City, Colorado.

The cause of the crash is under investigation. However Greenwood Village police said in a news release Friday morning, preliminary findings indicate no drugs or alcohol were involved.

South Metro Fire Rescue responded to the multi-vehicle crash on southbound I-25 at Arapahoe Road around 7:07 p.m. A HazMat crew was called to the area due to a fuel leak from one of the vehicles.

Six people were taken to the hospital following the crash. The conditions of the other four people in the crash are not known at this time.

Southbound I-25 was closed at Orchard. Greenwood Village police warned that the roadway would be closed for an "extended period of time." The shutdown lasted into Friday morning rush hour.

Breaking Benjamin and Three Days Grace performed at Fiddler's Green Thursday night.

A semi tractor-trailer veered off the Interstate 270 bridge at 56th Ave. around 4:45 a.m. Tuesday, the South Adams County Fire Department said.

Firefighters arrived to find the tractor trailer with heavy damage. First responders had to extricate the driver. A Platte Valley ambulance took the driver to the hospital for medical treatment with non-life threatening injuries, according to the Commerce City Police Department.

One lane of traffic on eastbound I-270 was blocked after Vasquez Boulevard by the semi tractor-trailer crash. Traffic slowed from Interstate 25, and Denver7 Traffic Expert Jayson Luber recommended morning commuters use southbound I-25 to eastbound Interstate 70 instead.

The crash closed 56th Ave. between Eudora and Sand Creek Streets going under I-270. Brighton or Vasquez Boulevards are the best alternatives, according to Luber.

The Commerce City Police Department said it appears as though there is structural damage to the bridge, but it will require further inspection.