Author: Blair Miller
Aurora Central administrators respect football players’ right to kneel for national anthem
AURORA, Colo. – Though many have taken issue with a host of NFL players taking a knee during the national anthem in recent weeks, Aurora Central High School administrators respect the right of some of their football players doing the same.
Several of the players have opted to do so during the first three games of the season and will continue doing so.
And while 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick and Broncos linebacker Brandon Marshall have at times drawn the ire of people saying they are disrespecting the flag and U.S. military, administrators at ACHS have taken a different approach.
“Aurora Central High School and Aurora Public Schools staff members respect the right of our students to protest in a peaceful manner,” the district said in a statement to Denver7 Wednesday. “We are using this opportunity as a teachable moment and a catalyst for meaningful debate.”
Marshall lost several endorsements because of his actions, but that hasn’t deterred him from continuing to kneel. And the reaction hasn’t all been bad – Marshall had a meeting with Denver Police Chief Robert White that both said was productive.
Aurora Central players told The Denver Post they had a team meeting to discuss Kaepernick’s actions and whether or not they should do the same. Most agreed they could not simply sit by and do nothing, agreeing with Kaepernick’s sentiments that minority groups do not always get equal treatment in society and in encounters with law enforcement.
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Man arrested in 1999 cold case rape of pregnant woman
DENVER – The cold-case rape of a pregnant woman in Denver that happened in 1999 might finally be solved.
Denver District Attorney Mitch Morrissey announced Wednesday his office has charged Roberto Valenzuela, 61, with second-degree kidnapping and first-degree sexual assault in the case.
The alleged assault happened in November 1999. A woman who was 5 months pregnant at the time was out walking after a fight with her boyfriend when Valenzuela offered her a ride.
The woman obliged, but was raped once she got into the car.
Investigators with Denver’s Cold Case Project were able to identify Valenzuela as a suspect and police arrested him earlier this week.
Valenzuela remains in custody on a $250,000 bond and is scheduled to be formally advised on his charges Sept. 23.
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Colorado woman files federal suit claiming state law inhibits right to deny business to gay couples
DENVER – A Christian woman claims Colorado law violates her ability to deny business to supporters of same-sex marriage and has filed a federal lawsuit seeking to overturn the laws on the basis they violate the U.S. Constitution.
Lorie Smith, who owns 303 Creative LLC, a graphic and web design company based in the Denver area, filed the suit Tuesday in Colorado’s U.S. District Court.
Read the lawsuit in full by clicking here.
She claims that Colorado law that says refusing people services on the basis of sexual orientation, among other reasons, is unconstitutional and violates her First and Fourteenth Amendment rights.
Smith would like to use her business “to celebrate and promote God’s design for marriage as an institution between one man and one woman,” according to the suit, and claims her inability to say so on her website because of the state laws violates her rights.
However, her website already says so in as many words, despite the lawsuit saying she “is refraining” from expressing her views.
“My primary objective is to design and create expressive content,” her website reads. “Because of my faith, however, I am selective about the messages that I create or promote – while I will serve anyone I am always careful to avoid communicating ideas or messages, or promoting events, products, services, or organizations, that are inconsistent with my religious beliefs.”
The suit continually cites Bible passages and says Smith “believes that God is calling her to promote and celebrate His design for marriage…between one man and one woman only.”
Violations of the Colorado statute could lead to fines of up to $500 per case, though there has been no indication from the Colorado Civil Rights Division or the Colorado Civil Rights Commission, which are both defendants in the suit, that she has ever been hit or threatened with one.
The suit, which was brought by attorneys for the Arizona-based group Alliance Defending Freedom, as well as Denver lawyer Michael L. Francisco, even cites the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision that legalized same-sex marriage nationwide, Obergefell v. Hodges, arguing the decision reinforces the Fourteenth Amendment’s protection of “choices that define their personal identity and beliefs.”
It also cites prior cases in Colorado involving different bakeries that either denied a gay couple service or denied an antagonist of same-sex marriage service, saying the Civil Rights Division and Commission muddied the Colorado statutes they enforce.
Smith’s attorneys said she would not be speaking to the media on the matter.
But Freedom for All Coloradans said the lawsuit was another attempt to undermine the Supreme Court’s decision.
“Allowing business owners to refuse service to customers whom they dislike, or disapprove, will open a can of worms and make it more difficult to enforce Colorado’s laws that ensure businesses are open to everyone.”
The case has yet to be scheduled on the court’s docket.
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Teen sought in beating of 71-year-old woman in Lefthand Canyon identified by sheriff’s office
BOULDER, Colo. – The Boulder County Sheriff’s Office on Wednesday identified the teenage hitchhiker accused of nearly beating a 71-year-old woman to death in Lefthand Canyon Monday.
Jeffrey Collins, 16, remains at large and is considered dangerous. He will likely be charged as an adult upon his arrest, according to the sheriff’s office.
Collins has an active warrant on attempted first-degree murder and first-degree assault to an at-risk adult charges.
The woman picked up Collins and two other teens around 8 p.m. Monday. After bringing them to her home on Lefthand Canyon Drive, Collins allegedly beat the woman with a blunt object.
The two other teens called police after running from the home, and Collins may have hitchhiked from the scene.
The woman suffered “significant” head injuries and remains in critical condition. Her son posted on Facebook Wednesday evening that she is doing better.
The sheriff’s office had to obtain a court order to release Collins’ identity, since he is a juvenile. It is asking anyone who has seen Collins to contact their local law enforcement agency or Northern Colorado Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.
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Robbery suspect shot dead by police in Westminster; 4 other suspects at-large
WESTMINSTER, Colo. – Police shot a robbery suspect in Westminster Tuesday afternoon after he allegedly pulled a gun on them. Four other suspects remain at-large.
Westminster police say a homeowner came home and found several people stealing things from his garage in the 12100 block of Bannock Street. One of the suspects punched the victim in the face and pulled a gun on the man when confronted, according to police.
The homeowner called police around 3:30 p.m. He told police the man who pointed a gun at him took off on a motorcycle.
The other suspects – three men and a pink-haired woman – fled the scene. Police say four of them left in a silver Chevrolet Malibu without license plates that was filled with stolen items.
Police found the suspect on the motorcycle near 121st and Huron. The motorcycle crashed and the man ran through a nearby complex, as officers chased him, he allegedly pulled a gun.
Two Westminster Police Department officers then opened fire. The suspect died at the scene. He did not fire any shots at police.
“I was talking to my neighbor she came out and she said that she saw the suspect run through there and the cops kept asking him to stop, he didn’t stop,” said Leo Padilla, a witness.”
Officers say they are still looking for the four suspects who left the scene in the Malibu.
Huron Street remained closed between 121st and 128th while officers investigated. Two nearby schools were briefly placed on lockout during the incident. The Adams County Coroner’s Office will release the man’s identity.
This is a developing news story; stay with Denver7 for updates.
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City council approves Denver’s first affordable housing fund
DENVER – The city’s first dedicated fund for affordable housing will get $150 million over the next 10 years after the city council voted to approve money for the fund Monday.
The council voted 9-4 to establish the fund, which the city says would create up to 6,000 new low and middle-income housing units.
Proponents of the fund say more affordable housing is necessary in Denver, where housing prices have steadily ballooned in recent years. Council members described the current situation as a crisis.
The fund would be created by a half-mill property tax and fee on new developments and would start collecting money Jan. 1. The council approved the funding, which had been sought by Mayor Michael Hancock.
The fee on new development will range from $0.40 to $1.70 depending on the type of project and would be collected by the fund once building permits are approved.
There were four amendments added to the bill including a measures that would create a comprehensive plan that will be presented to council. An alternative bill ultimately did not pass.
Still, some people in the city’s poorest neighborhoods don’t believe the money will help them.
“Families don’t have anywhere to go and so people are searching all over the city without success,” said Project Voyce spokesperson Candi CDeBaca. “It’s not enough. We need 80,000 units right now. That’s what the demand is.”
But the council approved the plan, calling it a “step in the right direction.” The plan will be reevaluated through its lifetime and will be analyzed again after the first 10-year period.
Mayor Hancock issued a statement Monday night following the vote:
“Tonight, our city took a significant step forward in keeping Denver accessible to our workers and families. I want to thank City Council for their support in creating Denver’s first, dedicated fund for affordable housing, which embeds the value of a city for everyone into our foundation.
“I couldn’t be more proud of the work we’ve accomplished with Council members Kniech and Brooks and all of our partners to keep our city uniquely Denver. From here our work continues undaunted to spur the creation of diverse housing options throughout the city. Together, we will remain relentless in our pursuit to ensure that our people are able to build equity and wealth through homeownership.”
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Thornton pastor arrested on child sexual assault charges
ADAMS COUNTY, Colo. – A Thornton assistant pastor faces charges for allegedly sexually assaulting a young girl who went to his church for nearly two years.
Robert Duane Wyatt, 50, is an assistant pastor at Agape Bible Church in Thornton. The church’s website lists him as an elder staff member.
Wyatt is accused of sexually assaulting a girl, now 14, for nearly two years, according to the 17th Judicial District Attorney’s Office.
He is charged with sexual assault on a child, sexual assault on a child as a pattern of conduct and sexual assault on a child by a person in a position of trust.
Agape Senior Pastor Dr. Darrell Ferguson told Denver7 Monday the case was “heartbreaking and sickening” and said he wants “justice to be done”
Wyatt turned himself in to the Adams County Sheriff’s Office Monday. His bond was set at $20,000.
Videos posted online show he has spoken to the congregation on numerous occasions over the past several years.
Thornton police are also asking anyone else who may have been a victim to come forward and contact them at 720-977-5069.
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Woman charged after allegedly having 2 children with teen boy
DENVER – A 33-year-old woman faces sexual assault of a child charges after allegedly having two children with a teenage boy she met in a park.
Alicia Hernandez, 33, met the boy at Garfield Park in 2011 or 2012. He was 14 years old at the time, according to the Denver District Attorney’s Office, though an affidavit for Hernandez’s arrest says the boy told her he was 18.
Over the course of the relationship, the two eventually started having sex and Hernandez had two of the boy’s children. The first was born in June 2013 and the second child was born in January 2015.
Hernandez has been charged with sexual assault on a child, a felony, and sexual assault with a 10-year age difference. The relationship was reported to Denver police by the Denver Department of Human Services in early September.
The boy is now 18.
The status of the children is unclear at the moment, though Denver7 will update this story as more information comes available.
Hernandez was released from custody after posting a $50,000 bond. She is next scheduled to appear in court Oct. 18.
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Jefferson County woman charged with molesting 8-year-old family friend
DENVER – A Jefferson County woman was formally charged Monday with child sexual assault charges after she allegedly molested an 8-year-old girl for several years.
Alexandra Kuisis, 42, faces three counts of sexual assault on a child, three counts of sexual assault on a child by someone in a position of trust and one count of sexual assault on a child with a pattern of abuse.
Kuisis allegedly started assaulting the girl in 2008 after she befriended the girl’s family. The victim was just 8 years old when the alleged abuse started.
The Denver District Attorney’s Office says the girl recently told her family about her molestation, which led to Kuisis’ September arrest.
Records show she was an admissions director at a Montessori school in California at one point. This is her first charge in Colorado.
Kuisis has been released from jail after posting a $50,000 bond and is next scheduled in court on Oct. 6.
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Man sentenced to life plus 98 years in 2013 Greeley murder
GREELEY, Colo. – A man Weld County authorities say was a “well-known” gang leader will spend the rest of his life in prison for beating and stabbing a man to death in 2013.
John Anthony Silva was sentenced to life, plus 98 years in prison Monday after being convicted of first-degree murder, aggravated robbery, felony drug possession and other charges in August.
Silva, who previously served 12 years in state prison on manslaughter charges, beat Gumercindo Munoz-Vizcaino with a medieval flail and stabbed him several times in August 2013 after his release from prison. Munoz-Vizcaino bled out and died.
After the murder, Silva and other alleged gang members robbed a Weld County coin store.
“Hopefully this will send a message to anyone who wants to participate in gang activity,” said District Attorney Michael Rourke in a statement. “If you do, we will send you away for a very long time.”
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