Rocky Mountain Voice

Tag: Adams County

Adams County Expands Fight Against Human Trafficking With Specialized Detectives
kdvr.com, Approved, Local

Adams County Expands Fight Against Human Trafficking With Specialized Detectives

By Vicente Arenas | KDVR FOX31 COMMERCE CITY, Colo. (KDVR) — The Adams County Sheriff’s Office says it has a new tool go after human traffickers and help save victims. The sheriff’s office has launched a new Human Trafficking Unit inside its Detective Division. That division will target prostitution, exploitation and human trafficking across unincorporated Adams County. Sheriff officials said the unit will bring focused enforcement, victim advocacy and interagency collaboration to combat exploitation, which includes both adults and children. READ THE FULL ARTICLE AT KDVR FOX31
Suspect in Custody Following Series of Intentional Fires in Aurora
CBS Colorado, Approved, Local

Suspect in Custody Following Series of Intentional Fires in Aurora

By Tori Mason | CBS Colorado A man is in custody after investigators say he set a string of fires over the past week in a residential area near East 16th Avenue and North Norfolk Street in Aurora. Michael Anthony Lopez, 30, was arrested Tuesday on multiple arson charges, including second and fourth-degree arson. Investigators say the fires targeted a wide range of property, including vegetation, portable toilets, vehicles, and both the exterior and interior of apartment buildings. Aurora Fire Rescue responded repeatedly over the last week, limiting damage while officers canvassed the neighborhood and gathered evidence. Neighbors say the fear of another attack kept them up at night. READ THE FULL ARTICLE AT CBS COLORADO
Colorado Repeat Offender Freed by Court Accused of Killing Mother of Three
Fox News, Approved, State

Colorado Repeat Offender Freed by Court Accused of Killing Mother of Three

By: Julia Bonavita | Fox News Thomas Perales allegedly killed Annette Marie Valdez following years of domestic violence incidents and court violations. A Colorado repeat offender is accused of brutally murdering the mother of his children before spending several days pushing her lifeless body around in a shopping cart just a week after being released from jail. Thomas Perales, a homeless man with multiple prior arrests, is accused of killing Annette Marie Valdez after her body was discovered inside a Westminster trash can Dec. 4, according to 9NEWS.  Perales had allegedly violated a protection order taken out by Valdez numerous times and had been released from jail just a week before the alleged murder, the outlet reported. The 37-y...
Colorado’s Appointment System Tested as Districts Lose Multiple Lawmakers
The Denver Gazette, Approved, Local

Colorado’s Appointment System Tested as Districts Lose Multiple Lawmakers

By Marianne Goodland | The Denver Gazette Two vacancy committees that will convene in the next month or so will have an interesting challenge: Picking a new state senator and state representative who will represent the same geographic area. The vacancy election for Senate District 25, represented by the late Sen. Faith Winter, D-Broomfield, will meet on Dec. 23 at 6:30 p.m. to pick a replacement. The meeting will be livestreamed. Winter died in a car crash a few weeks ago. Reps. William Lindstedt, D-Broomfield, and Jenny Willford, D-Northglenn, are planning to run for the Senate seat.  Lindstedt already filed the candidacy paperwork for the Senate District 25 seat for 2026, given that Winter was term-limited. He noted in an announcement Monday that Win...
Study Warns Colorado’s High Theft Threshold Fueling Retail Crime Growth
Colorado Politics, Approved, State

Study Warns Colorado’s High Theft Threshold Fueling Retail Crime Growth

By Mark Samuelson | Colorado Politics Shoplifting and other forms of retail crime are seeing a sharp rise as Colorado heads into the holidays, according to a study. After falling from a recent-record 24,975 thefts reported in 2015 to around 18,000 in 2021, Colorado Bureau of Investigation data show a jump to more than 27,000 shoplifting crimes in 2024, according to former Denver District Attorney Mitch Morrissey, who co-authored the study. The study was released in the past week by the Greenwood Village-based Common Sense Institute. It reported that shoplifting hotspots include Adams County, with 52,333 incidents over the span from 2014 to 2024; followed by Jefferson County, with 34,241 incidents; and El Paso County, 33,339 over the span. Other counties posting high numbers ...
Brighton Memorial Honoring Veterans Vandalized for Tenth Time
CBS Colorado, Approved, Local

Brighton Memorial Honoring Veterans Vandalized for Tenth Time

By: Gabriela Vidal | CBS Colorado A local veterans' memorial in Colorado was vandalized with graffiti just one day after Veterans Day, and repairs could cost up to $3,000. County officials say the site has been vandalized 10 times in the last two years. It happened at the Adams County Veterans Memorial in Brighton on Wednesday, park officials and law enforcement say. "This is actually a replica of the USS Colorado battleship from World War II," said Byron Fanning, parks director for Adams County. Fanning said the memorial is meant to honor those who gave their lives in service of the country. "This is such a great place for people to come and reflect and really get deep into thought," he said. But only a day after residents adorned the memorial with flowers in h...
Adams County’s “unprecedented” pet surge: Five hoarding probes push shelter past 540 animals
DENVER7, Approved, Local

Adams County’s “unprecedented” pet surge: Five hoarding probes push shelter past 540 animals

By Adria Iraheta | Denver7 The Riverdale Animal Shelter has received mass intakes from five investigations in the past two months. Denver7 spoke with shelter officials about how you can help. BRIGHTON, Colo. — The Riverdale Animal Shelter in Brighton is looking to the community for support after receiving hundreds of animals from multiple hoarding cases over the past two months. On Wednesday alone, the shelter took in more than 100 animals from a home in the 14600 block of Umpire Street in unincorporated Adams County as part of an animal cruelty investigation. No arrests have been made, according to Sergeant Shea Haney with the Adams County Sheriff's Office. “Upon execution of the search warrant, they seized about 101 animals from the property," Haney told Denver7. "Sugar glide...
Adams 12 asks taxpayers for $39.42M more in November vote
Fox31, Approved, Local

Adams 12 asks taxpayers for $39.42M more in November vote

By Heather Willard | Fox 31 DENVER (KDVR) — The Adams 12 Five Star Schools Board of Education unanimously approved the placement of a $39.42 million mill levy override on the November ballot at the board’s Wednesday night meeting. “We know the state’s not going to have a lot of money to help us out for next year,” Superintendent Chris Gdowski said in the district’s announcement of the placement. “So if we don’t help ourselves here in Adams 12, next year will be another difficult year when it comes to cuts.” The mill levy override will help pay for ongoing operating expenses, such as additional staffing and academic programming for students; salaries for teachers and support staff; and investments in safety and security personnel. The district also noted that it ranks nearl...
Close call at Colorado rail crossing as car struck by train after evacuation
Fox31, Approved, Local

Close call at Colorado rail crossing as car struck by train after evacuation

By Brooke Williams | Fox 31 DENVER (KDVR) — People were able to get out of a car before it was hit by an oncoming train on Sunday night. South Adams County Fire Department said in a post on X that it responded to the crash at the intersection of Highway 2 and 88th Avenue around 10:50 p.m. When Battalion Chief 21 arrived, crews found a vehicle with moderate damage and a train that was stopped at the railroad crossing. The fire department said the occupants inside the vehicle were able to get out before the collision with the train, and no one was injured. The agency did not release information about how the vehicle may have ended up in the train’s path. READ THE COMPLETE STORY AT FOX 31
Adams County man handed 13-year sentence for large-scale drug trafficking
Fox31, Approved, Local

Adams County man handed 13-year sentence for large-scale drug trafficking

By: FOX31 Digital Staff | FOX31 DENVER (KDVR) — A man was sentenced to 20 years in the Colorado Department of Corrections by the 17th Judicial District Attorney’s Office for “large-scale” drug trafficking in Adams County, the DA’s Office announced in a press release on Monday morning. The man, Rodrick Maye, 45, was sentenced for possessing with intent to distribute large quantities of fentanyl, methamphetamines and cocaine. On May 25, 2024, Thornton police officers saw Maye swerve into oncoming traffic on East 88th Avenue. The officers performed a traffic stop, and said Maye showed signs of impairment and failed roadside sobriety tests, before being arrested for driving under the influence. During a search of the vehicle, officers found multiple open containers of alcohol an...