LOST DOG 'FIONA' RESCUED, BACK WITH FAMILY

Photos: City of Denver

It's a dog's life - and they saved it.

On March 22, Denver Animal Protection officers crawled on their bellies to rescue a lost dog named Fiona hiding in a confined space near Cherry Creek Trail and the railroad tracks.

The Denver Animal Shelter reunited Fiona with her family. She had been missing more than two weeks and lost considerable weight.

29TH ST. STABBING

A person was stabbed Saturday in the 1900-block of 29th Street and transported to hospital, Denver police said.

COLD CASE: 3 DEAD IN TRANSIENT HOTEL ARSON

This is Ernest Peterson. Early on Aug. 12, 1980, an arson fire killed Peterson, John F. Simmons and Thaddeus Hosey, guests at the old Jefferson Hotel at 1529 Champa St. in downtown Denver. The three-story hotel, primarily for transients, was engulfed in flames. Firefighters found Peterson and the others after the fire was out. At least two people were hurt. The hotel closed, however, the brick structure still stands. Denver Cold Case #80-605902.

NORTH WASHINGTON ST. SHOOTING

A shooting Saturday in the 4900-block of North Washington Street injured one person, who was sent to hospital, Denver police said. Two people were detained.

ARSON SUSPECT ON RUN ARRESTED IN DENVER

Photo: US Marshals Service

Fugitive Jose Bermudez-Robles - at large for almost three years - was arrested Thursday in the 3600-block of North Williams Street in Denver, the US Marshals Service said. He's wanted by Grand Junction police on arson and assault charges. Bermudez-Robles has a lengthy criminal record and has been deported to Mexico six times, the marshals service said.

DENVER ICE SENDS FUGITIVE HOME

Photo: Denver ICE

Denver ICE agents dispatched fugitive Jose Eduardo Moran-Garcia, 28, to El Salvador, where he is wanted on charges of aggravated murder and robbery. Moran-Garcia was held at the Denver Contract Detention Facility following his October 2023 arrest in California. "No criminal is beyond the reach of justice,” said Robert Guadian of the ICE Denver field office.

VETERAN PIMP GETS 21 YEARS

Photo: Colorado Department of Corrections

A veteran Denver pimp has been sentenced to 21 years in state prison for human trafficking.

William Galbreath, 39, was on probation in a similar case when he pleaded guilty to the new felony count earlier this year, the Denver DA said. He was also ordered to register as a sex offender.

The 6-foot-3 Galbreath lured women with false promises of large sums of money. His latest enterprise operated between April 2021 and April 2024 - and laundered its proceeds through "fake businesses," the DA said. 

Galbreath's first parole hearing is set for May 2034, according to the Colorado Department of Corrections.

DENVER AUDITOR RECOVERS $13K FOR STIFFED CAFE STAFF

Acting on an anonymous minimum wage complaint, the Denver City Auditor's office recently recovered $13,616.94 in backpay for 25 café workers.

They put in almost 1,000 hours without proper compensation.

"When we contacted the café, managers immediately gave us access to the necessary records, and we identified numerous underpayments," Auditor Timothy O'Brien said. He didn't provide the name of the establishment.

Earlier, the auditor's office announced a pair of Denver strip clubs owed nearly $14 million in stolen wages, penalties and fees.

"Wages help families pay for rent, food, medical bills, and other essential expenses," O'Brien said. "More than that, they affirm that workers’ rights are valued and protected."

The city auditor's office operates independently from the mayor and city council. 

DRUG OVERDOSES UP ACROSS DENVER

Photo: DEA

 Drugs seized in Denver area on display

Non-fatal drug overdoses are up across the Denver - particularly fentanyl and polysubstance - and officials are expanding prevention efforts, the city's Department of Public Health & Environment said.

Denver's medical examiner is also investigating "numerous fatalities" suspected to be possible overdoses, the pubic health department said.

Toxicological results are pending and "it’s too early to use medical examiner data to indicate a trend in fatal overdoses," the department said.

In what may be a related development, Denver police have reported a number of what are described as outdoor deaths of late.

The public health department said it is working "to ensure people who use drugs have access to life-saving resources, including naloxone, fentanyl test strips, and treatment options."

Officials have distributed more than 60,000 doses of naloxone and close to 70,000 fentanyl test strips citywide over the past three years.

POSSIBLE VEHICULAR HOMICIDE ON QUEBEC ST.

A pedestrian was struck and killed Thursday in the 2300-block of North Quebec Street and the driver of the vehicle was detained in what Denver police describe as a possible case of vehicular homicide. The driver, age 25, remained on the scene of the accident, police said.  The Denver DA will decide whether to press charges in the tragedy. The victim, an adult male, was pronounced dead at hospital.

NAB CRAZED FUGITIVE AFTER CHASE INTO DENVER

A crazed fugitive pursued into the Denver city limits by Westminster police crashed into another vehicle near I-70 and I-225.

Wednesday night's high-speed chase began when, Joseph Wrege, 45, wanted on felony warrants, tried to run down Westminster officers and rammed a patrol car at the Comfort Inn Suites near 120th Avenue and Delaware Street, police said.

Wrege and another person were injured in the crash and sent to hospital.

In addition to the outstanding warrants, Wrege faces a variety of new charges, including vehicular assault. He was released from the hospital and booked into the Adams County Detention Facility. Bond was set at $50,000, jail records showed.

The initial call came into 911 as a disturbance at the Comfort Inn.

INMATE 106393: AWAY FOREVER - AND THEN SOME

Photo: Colorado Department of Corrections

Meet Colorado Department of Corrections Inmate No. 106393. His name is Robert A, Hawkins, he's a violent pimp and he will be eligible for parole on Jan. 28, 2256. You read it right - the year 2256.

A Denver judge sentenced him to 448 years in prison in June 2024. 

"Robert Hawkins showed no regard for anybody but himself, taking advantage of six extremely vulnerable victims," former Denver District Attorney Beth McCann said.

Hawkins was convicted of exploiting four women and two children, "preying on the victims’ vulnerabilities, using physical violence and threats to keep the victims under his control, and profiting from the sale of their bodies," the DA's Office said.

The 5-foot-10 Hawkins, who weighs in at 232 pounds, also shot a "John" during his 2018-2022 crime spree.

As of March 2025, Hawkins was housed at the medium-security Crowley County Correctional Facility in Olney Springs, Colorado, 150 miles southeast of Denver.

DARTMOUTH AVE. SHOOTING

Two people have been sent to a hospital after a shooting in the 10000-block of East Dartmouth Avenue, Denver police said Thursday.

BRUCE RANDOLPH AVE. CASE RULED HOMICIDE

The March 20 shooting death of Nyeesha Jackson, 31, which occurred in the 2200-block of East Bruce Randolph Avenue, has been ruled a homicide, the Denver Medical Examiner said.

HUMBOLDT STREET GUNMAN IDENTIFIED

A gun-wielding man shot to death by Denver police has been identified by the city medical examiner as Jose Medina, 57.

Officers opened fire after the man refused to drop his gun, police said. The incident occurred in the vicinity of Humboldt Street and East 35th Avenue on March 20. 

None of the officers were wounded. At that time, police said the gunman was a transient.

The medical examiner confirmed Medina, who was taken to Denver Health Medical Center, died of multiple gunshot wounds.

POLICE ARREST SUSPECT IN WELTON SHOOTING

Paul Lowell Cushinberry, 53, was arrested in connection with a shooting and standoff in the 2300-block of Welton Street in Denver, police said Wednesday.

The incident occurred Tuesday night and the victim, an adult male, was expected to survive, police said.

The suspect was also accused of firing a shot at police through an apartment wall during the standoff and faces charges of first-degree assault and attempted murder of a peace officer.
 
There was a large police presence as officers attempted to contact the suspect and neighbors were ordered to shelter in place. An argument led to the shooting. The men were acquainted.

The 5-foot-10 Cushinberry was booked into the Downtown Detention Center on Wednesday and was bond was set at $200,000, jail records show.

WELTON STREET SHOOTING

A person was shot Tuesday in the 2300-block of Champa Street, Denver police said. There was a large police presence as officers attempted to contact a person who might have been involved in the shooting. A shelter-in-place order was issued.

WEST ANDREW DRIVE BLAZE

A house fire in the vicinity of East Andrew Drive and East Mitchell Place spread to the exterior of another home early Wednesday, the Denver Fire Department said. No injuries were reported.

'FEW BUT PLENTY' FAMILY BOSS GUILTY

Photo: Denver Police

Phillip Baca Sr., boss of the westside's violent "Few But Plenty" crime family, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit murder and violating Colorado's organized crime act - and will be sentenced to 33 years in prison, the Denver DA said. The blood-tied gang's trademark was drive-by shootings of rivals. "Baca not only encouraged the young men of FBP (most of whom were his sons and nephews) to commit these violent crimes, he often expressly ordered them to do so," the DA's office said in a press release.

"On at least one occasion, Baca joined his co-defendants as they shot the home of a rival gang member more than 20 times," it said.

The 44-year-od Baca and 10 other gang members were indicted in 2022. All have been convicted.

TRUE CRIME: BROADWAY DON HOGAN

Don Hogan

On Aug. 8, 1927, a three-alarm arson fire gutted an auto dealership owned by football star and aviator Don Hogan at 1227 Broadway in Denver - and Hogan plead guilty to the crime before the year was out.

The crime shocked the city.

Prosecutors accused Hogan of intending to defraud the Mercantile Insurance Company of America, which insured the property. Two of his employees, Rex Conley and Joe Crenshaw, were also arrested.  Twenty-five cars and the entire stock of parts were destroyed.

The three alarms brought 200 Denver firefighters and 27 pieces of apparatus to the scene in a major response. Truck driver Paul Dretzler, of 4601 Williams St. in Denver, spotted the fire at about 2 a.m., and told police two men tried to stop him from turning in the alarm from a fire box.

Immediately after the blaze, Hogan declared it was arson, citing charred bunting between cars stored in the basement and charred paper between steps leading to the basement, The Rocky Mountain News said. Hogan also insisted he was at a loss to say who started the blaze.

After pleading guilty on Oct 29, Hogan "left in his own car immediately for Canyon City in custody of a deputy sheriff" to serve his prison sentence, according to a United Press dispatch.

Flames from Hogan's building damaged the neighboring Permo Washing Co. and Stephens Miller, Inc., the News said.

Five firefighters suffered minor injuries.

Hogan's dealership sold Rickenbacker and Kissel automobiles. These weren't popular. Rickenbacker halted production in 1927 and Kissel filed bankruptcy in 1931, according to Wikipedia.

FUGITIVE MOM NABBED IN LODO

Photo: U.S. Marshal's Service

A North Carolina fugitive, suspected of second-degree murder in the death of her toddler, was arrested near 38th and Blake streets in Denver, the U.S. Marshal's Service said. The arrest occurred Feb. 18. (To report suspected child abuse or neglect in Denver, contact the city's Child Welfare and Adult Protective Services hotline at 720-944-3000.)

WEST COLFAX FENTANYL HAUL

Photo: Denver Police

Denver police arrested a driver who eluded officers and seized about 3,000 suspected fentanyl pills, narcotics, cash, a stolen gun and a cache of ammunition The driver, identified as an adult male, is a convicted felon, police said. The arrest occurred Feb. 21 at a West Colfax Avenue service station. The suspect didn't put up a fight. A police helicopter was called to help track the fleeing vehicle, which raced through downtown and traveled west on West 6th Avenue. It was first spotted on East Colfax Avenue. Upon arrest, the driver faced charges of possession of a weapon by a previous offender, felony eluding and possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, police said.

POOCH PREFERS FIREHOUSE OVER FIRE HYDRANT

Photo: Courtesy of Denver Sketch Reader

No. 1 at No. 15

'DEPUTY DAWG'

 

Photo: Denver Sheriff

K-9 Boomer of the Denver Sheriff's Office reporting for duty.

COLORADO BLVD. STABBING

A person was stabbed Saturday in the 1600-block of South Colorado Boulevard, Denver police said.

JACKSON DRIVE SHOOTING

A man was shot in the 5200-block of Jackson Drive, Denver police said Saturday. His injuries weren't considered life-threatening, police said.

EAST HAMPTON STABBING

A stabbing occurred Friday in the 8400-block of East Hampden Avenue, Denver police said. The victim was transported to hospital.

35 YEARS FOR NUGGETS' PARTY GUNMAN

Photo: Denver Police Department
Ricardo Vasquez, who fired a gun into a partying crowd celebrating the Denver Nuggets' 2023 NBA championship, has been sentenced to 35 years in prison for attempted first-degree murder, the Denver DA said. The shooting at 20th and Market streets in Lodo wounded several people on June 20, 2023. Vasquez will also serve an eight-year concurrent sentence for intent to distribute a controlled substance. He pleaded guilty in January.

POLICE SEEK NORTHFIELD STUN GUN WOMAN

 

Photo: Denver Police Department
Denver police are hunting for a woman armed with a stun gun and a male accomplice in a robbery in the 8500-block on East Northfield Boulevard. The robbery occurred at 8:55 p.m. on Feb. 28. The white woman, in early 20s, is about 5-foot-5 and 115 pounds. The while male, also in his early 20s, is about 5-foot-8 and 150 pounds. They fled in a silver or gray Land Rover Discovery Sport, police said.

POLICE TAKE DOWN HUMBOLDT ST. GUNMAN

Denver police fatally shot a man brandishing a revolver Thursday in the 3500-block of Humboldt Street, Police Chief Ron Thomas said. There was no indication the man, described as a transient, fired his gun, Thomas said. The man was shot by several officers who had ordered him to drop it.

WOMAN SHOT DEAD

A woman was fatally shot in the 2200-block of East Bruce Randolph Avenue, Denver police said Friday. The case is classified as a homicide.

GOOD SAMARITAN SAVES STARVING COLFAX PUPPY

Photo: Denver Animal Shelter
A Good Samaritan rescued a starving puppy at Colfax and Teller on March 16 - and delivered him to the Denver Animal Shelter, where is is receiving proper veterinary attention as well as tender love and care. Denver Crime Stoppers is seeking information on this shocking case. The pooch is described as a boxer mix and about 11 months old.

PRISON FOR ARSONIST'S TAX-SCAM DAD

The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

The father of Denver arsonist and murderer Kevin Bui is going to prison on federal tax-scam charges, the US Attorney's Office says . 

Thuan Bui, 60, of Littleton, who ran a tax service and falsely claimed to be a CPA, has been sentenced to 36 months and fined $50,000. He pleaded guilty to aiding or assisting in the preparation of false tax documents.

His cold-blooded son is already serving a 60-year state sentence for second-degree murder in the torching of a Green Valley Ranch home in August 2020 that killed a family of five.

Though the criminals are related, the separate cases aren't.

SOUTH WALCOTT STABBING ARREST

Denver police arrested Ernesto Martinez, 25, on charges of Assault in the First Degree, in a March 14 stabbing in the 2000-block of South Walcott. One person was injured in the stabbing.

MOB TOWN: 'BANQUET OF DEATH' GUEST

On Saturday, Nov. 3, 1949, Harold "Murph" Cohen, a gambler, tavernkeeper and one-time top amateur boxer, went missing after attending a ceremonial dinner at Gaetano's Restaurant, haunt of North Denver's Smaldone crime family.

The Rocky Mountain News dubbed the case the "Banquet of Death" - and it's never been solved.

Cohen, 38, was last seen wearing a "goldish brown" cardigan style jacket, a pearl gray sleeveless sweater, a "grayish blue" pair of trousers, brown shoes and a brown hat, according to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation.

His body was found on Feb. 11, 1950, in Blue Lake in Jefferson County, at Highway 58 at Indiana Street.

Though weighted down by a pair of 25-pound iron bars and bound in wire and rope, Cohen's body didn't sink to the bottom of the 90-foot-deep lake, but rested on a ledge. His body was spotted under four or five feet of water by two teenage boys and recovered by the Golden Fire Department, according to the Colorado Transcript newspaper. Autopsy results revealed he was alive when he was tossed into the water, about nine miles northwest of Denver, the News said. Today, the site of Blue Lake is owned by the Coor's brewery.
Three Denver men - described as "well known in gambling circles" - were questioned by police. They weren't identified publicly. (It should be noted three Smaldone brothers - Eugene, Clyde, and Clarence - owned Gaetano's.)  Two years earlier - on Jan. 7, 1948 - Cohen's friend Mike Falbo was found dead in Adams County suffering gunshot wounds. Police theorized Falbo's death stemmed from a gang war between Denver gambling factions and that Cohen may have known who was responsible. Days after Cohen's body was found the News said "the police spotlight" focused briefly on two North Denver men but they denied any involvement. The Denver DA closed its investigations of the Cohen and Falbo slayings in 1952 without pressing charges.

Cohen, who resided at 1435 Stuart St., Denver, suffered a serious gunshot wound in a dispute over $10 on Oct. 17, 1948.

ZUNI DEATH RULED HOMICIDE

The March 6 death of Leonel Silva-Perez, 25, has been ruled a homicide by the Denver Medical Examiner. Silva-Perez was found in the vicinity of Zuni Street and Speer Boulevard suffering  multiple gunshot wounds. He was taken by ambulance to Denver Health Medical Center, officials said. 

95 YEARS FOR WEST DENVER GANG BOSS

Photo: Denver DA

Westside gang boss Angel “Taz” Espinoza - who "showed no regard for human life" - faces 95 years in prison after pleading guilty Monday to second-degree murder, attempted murder and violating Colorado's organized crime act, the Denver DA said.

The 5-foot-4, babyface Espinoza led the “2D$” - Too Damn Smooth, Too Damn Self-Made and/or Too Damn Styling - which was responsible for dozens of shootings targeting rivals, including the killings of Paul Baca Sr. in 2021 and Christian Chirinos-Salazar in 2022.

Nearly 200 other victims were misidentified as rivals or caught in crossfire during the three-year crime spree, from 2019 to 2022, the Denver DA said.

Espinoza - who is just 22 - and a dozen other young thugs were indicted in 2023 on 254 felony counts, including murder, attempted murder, aggravated motor vehicle theft, assault, menacing and robbery. All 13 have pleaded guilty.

Espinoza entered a plea agreement and is scheduled to be sentenced to 95 years behind bars in May. He was originally charged with first-degree murder and racketeering, according to Denver Jail records.

“Angel Espinoza was the leader of a brutal criminal organization that terrorized neighborhoods on the Westside of Denver and showed no regard for human life," Denver DA John Walsh said. "The city is safer now that he will be off the streets, effectively for the rest of his life."

The lengthy investigation was led by the Regional Anti-Violence Enforcement Network - also known as RAVEN.

Booking photos

RTD TRAIN HIT PEDESTRIAN

An RTD train hit a pedestrian during the Monday morning rush hour at Smith Road and North Monaco Street, Denver police said. The pedestrian was sent to hospital with serious injuries.

32ND ST. SHOOTING

A shooting critically injured a person early Monday near 32nd Street and Federal Boulevard, Denver police said.

PARK AVE. STABBING

Denver police reported a stabbing Saturday near Park Avenue West and Globeville Road. One person was sent to hospital.

TRUE CRIME: DENVER'S TEENAGE 'FIRE MANIAC'

 

Warren Cramer was just plain bad. As a teenager, he confessed to a wild arson spree in Denver. As an adult, he confessed to a murder in San Francisco - and was executed in California's gas chamber.

On Aug. 26, 1935, Cramer, 17, son of a dentist and attorney from Oakland, California, confessed to setting 20 fires across Denver in five days, including blazes at a Catholic cathedral, two Catholic churches, City Hall and police headquarters.

A headline in the Herald Journal of Spartanburg, South Carolina, read: "DENVER FEARFUL OF FIRE MANIAC."

"I got a thrill out of it," Detective Sergeant Walter Fox quoted the youth as saying, according to an Associated Press story. "It was fun, especially last night when I started a fire in police headquarters."

Police caught him at a night club phone booth. At first, police had suspected a "religious fanatic" or "Nazi sympathizer" with setting the church fires, according to a United Press story - not a neatly appointed schoolboy.

Cramer said he used a stolen bicycle to move from fire to fire.

The boy's father, Dr. Harry Cramer, said his son served 10 months at the Preston industrial school for petty theft and had repeatedly run away from home since he was 12.

Dr. Cramer also said the boy's mother, who died shortly after his birth, "was insane" and "this undoubtedly explains his actions," according to the Associated Press.

Cramer went onto a "career of thievery, arson and jail breaking" and was executed in California's gas chamber at San Quentin on May 14, 1943, for the slaying of Ernest Saxton, a San Francisco drug store clerk in 1942, according to the United Press.

He was on parole when he killed Saxton, prison records showed.

At the end, San Quentin Warden Clinton Duffy described Cramer as a “brilliant” man who thought he had a “rotten streak in his system which he couldn’t control.”

COLD CASE: GEMINI TATTOO MYSTERY

Photo: Denver Medical Examiner.
On June 7, 1987, police responding to a welfare check found a dead man possibly known as "Kinky" at 1350 Columbine St. in Denver. The man, age about 20, bore tattoos, including "GEMINI" down his right led, according to the Denver Medical Examiner's website. He was 6-foot-1, 183 pounds and wore a red, yellow, green and black beaded necklace and may have been from Jamaica or Miami. Case #: 1987-95629.

IT'S A DOG'S DAY

Photo: Denver Sheriff
Each March 13 marks National K9 Veterans Day, honoring the brave and intrepid dogs serving in law enforcement, search and rescue services and the armed forces. This is K9 Gunner of the Denver Sheriff's Office.

WALCOTT COURT STABBING

A person was injured in a stabbing Friday in the 2000-block of South Walcott Court in Denver and sent to hospital. A "possible suspect" was detained, police said.

WESLEY ST. FIRE

Denver firefighters extinguished a large fire Friday at a recycling plant at Wesley and Raritan streets.

STREET RACING

Four drivers have been cited in a citywide crackdown on street racing over the past two week, Denver police said Friday.

EAST 60TH AVE. STABBING

A person was injured Thursday in a stabbing in the 18600-block of East 60th Avenue in Denver, police said. The person was transported to hospital.

DIA AIRLINER FIRE; 12 INJURED

Investigators launched a full accounting of a raging engine fire that forced the evacuation of an American Airlines flight at Denver International Airport and injured 12 people Thursday evening.

There were 178 people aboard. The injuries were considered minor, officials said.

The Boeing 737-800 was at Gate C38 when it burst into flames after diverting to Denver for engine trouble.

Some people used an emergency exit over the left wing. The right engine was aflame. Black smoke plumed.

The injured were sent to hospitals.

Flight 1006 originated in Colorado Springs and was bound for Dallas-Fort Worth.

PACIFIC PLACE SHOOTING

A shooting in the 1600-block of West Pacific Place injured one person, Denver police said Thursday. The injury was considered non-life threatening, police said.

EAST COLFAX SHOOTING

Police are investigating a Wednesday shooting in the 4100-block of East Colfax Avenue in Denver. One person was sent to hospital, police said.

BROADWAY HIT & RUN

Photo: Denver Police Department
Denver police located a suspect in a hit-and-run accident that injured a motorcyclist and pedestrian at South Broadway Street and East Iowa Avenue on March 1. The hit-and-run driver fled in a pickup truck painted florescent green which was recovered earlier. 

QUEBEC ST. FIRE DISPLACES 87

Photo: Denver Fire Dept.

An electrical transformer explosion and fire Wednesday at an assisted living facility near Quebec Street and Smith Way in Denver displaced 87 residents.

The fire department said eight people were transported to hospital.

Damage to the building was extensive and it was expected to be closed for an extended period.

"During construction work at the facility, a power line was accidentally struck, which contributed to an explosion and subsequent transformer fire," the fire department said.

Residents were placed in other facilities.

EAST COLFAX HOMICIDE

The death of Leon Jackson, 45, has been ruled a homicide by the Denver medical examiner. Jackson was shot Feb. 3 in the 1100-block of East Colfax Avenue and died Feb. 26 at Denver Health Medical Center.

60 YEARS FOR MURDER

Photo: Denver Police Department

Clemente Flores-Hernandez was sentenced to 60 years in prison Tuesday for second-degree murder in the shooting death of Karol Bedoya and first-degree assault for strangling her adult son in February 2023.

The Denver DA said Flores-Hernandez fled with Bedoya's 2-year-old  grandson and led police on a 30-mile chase on I-70 east of Denver. The boy was unharmed. 

Bedoya and Flores-Hernandez were involved in an intimate relationship for about 10 years, the DA said.

The shooting and assault occurred at Bedoya's home in northeast Denver.

"Karol Bedoya’s murder is yet another terrible reminder of the tragic toll domestic violence takes on our community and our families,” DA John Walsh said.

KIDNAPPER SENTENCED TO 290 YEARS

Photo: Denver DA
Deranged Denver ride share driver John Pastor-Mendoza has been sentenced to 290 years in prison. He was convicted of kidnapping 12 women, sexually assaulting two of them and attempting to sexually assault seven others. The attacks, which garnered a total of 30 criminal charges, occurred between 2018 and 2022, according to the Denver DA .
Pastor-Mendoza used an alias when the women hailed a car via a ride-sharing app.

DA John Walsh said the "severe sentence is entirely appropriate. We should all be grateful for the courage of Pastor-Mendoza’s victims, who came forward and testified."

FEDERAL BLVD. SHOOTING

Police Tuesday sought the cause of a shooting in the area of the 2600-block of North Federal Boulevard in Denver. One person was injured.

ELATI ST. SHOOTING

Denver police arrested two men on charges of attempted first-degree murder in a March 4 shooting. They are Jeison Urbina-Mancia, 18, and Gerardo Martinez Navarette, 21. The suspects and victim, also a male, were acquainted and the shooting may have been related to a prior dispute, police said.  It occurred in the 800-block of North Elati Street.