News
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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Lockdown lifted at Rose Medical Center in Denver after ‘shots heard’; no suspect or victims found
DENVER – Police swarmed Rose Medical Center in Denver Friday afternoon after receiving several reports of shots heard at the hospital, though there was no suspect or victims found after an hourslong sweep.
Police said just before 10 p.m. they did not find any victims or a possible shooter after a full sweep of the campus. A spokesperson for the hospital said earlier in the evening all employees and patients were safe.
By 7:30 p.m., the hospital and police were “systematically” releasing various zones of the hospital as they were cleared by officers. People inside were being escorted through the main doors by police.
“Our job is not to do it quickly, it’s to do it correctly,” Denver Police spokesman Tyrone Campbell said.
Shelter-in-place orders for all hospital employees and patients have since been lifted after several hours.
Authorities maintained they were looking for a white male in his mid-30s and around 130 pounds named as a person of interest, though police have not released further details about why the man is of interest. The man was wearing a hat and a flannel shirt.
Campbell could also not confirm reports from people at the hospital they heard shots fired.
Aerial images from Air Tracker 7 showed a heavy police presence at the hospital located off Colorado Boulevard and Hale Parkway beginning around 4 p.m..
An operator at Rose Medical Center confirmed to Denver7 that the campus was on Code: Silver during the investigation, which means there is an active shooter situation.
Medical center spokeswoman Julie Hogan said at 7:30 all patients and employees were safe throughout the lockdown.
“This is a reality we live in. Like every other health care facility in the country, we have trained,” said Hogan.
Night shift employees at the medical center were asked to come into the hospital for work, but to park in the Founders building parking lot and to come in through badge doors only.
The hospital is surrounded by a heavily populated residential area. Some apartment complexes near the campus alerted their tenants of the police situation at the hospital.
DPD said its investigation would be ongoing even after the sweep was complete.
This is a developing story. Refresh this page for the latest updates.
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Vice President Biden speaks at 19th annual Korbel Dinner at DU
DENVER – Vice President Joe Biden spoke for close to an hour in Denver Thursday night at the annual Korbel Dinner at the University of Denver.
His speech focused primarily on US relations in the world, but he also spent time afterward with DU students who were holding a watch party across the hall.
Arriving to a standing ovation form the students, the vice president joked he wasn’t their teacher so they didn’t have to cheer for him.
Biden was the keynote speaker at the event, which served as a fundraiser for the School of International Studies. Among the international topics he visited, he said the next president needs to better relations with the Pacific and called this November an inflection point in world history.
The vice president also seemed to overtly give some opinions about this year’s presidential race.
“All politics is person. It matters,” he said. “You have to figure out what the other person’s interest is. You’ve got to figure out what their latitude is. You’ve got to figure out what their intentions are.”
After the dinner and his speech, several students took their opportunity to ask Biden some questions of their own.
One hit on the Middle East and another query was on the “Brexit,” but Biden joked with another student who asked about his thoughts on not running for president.
“I learned one way to become the most popular politician in America – you know what that is: Announce you’re not running for president,” he quipped.
Biden will stay in Denver overnight before heading to Houston to reveal new plans in advancing his Cancer Moonshot plan to speed up 10 years of cancer research into five years.
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Gov. Hickenlooper is ‘sympathetic’ to proposed minimum wage hike; study says it will benefit Colo.
DENVER – Colorado’s governor says he remains “sympathetic” to a ballot measure that would increase the state’s minimum wage to $12 an hour by 2020 on the same day a report from a consortium of state colleges and universities noted the measure would benefit most of the state’s minimum wage workers.
The report from the University of Denver and Colorado Women’s College, in collaboration with The Women’s Foundation of Colorado, says the state’s gross domestic product (GDP) would increase by $400 million and 20 percent of Coloradans would see household income increases. Continue reading