Rocky Mountain Voice

Menu

Tag: Law Enforcement

Colorado to Enforce New Gun Purchase and Ammunition Restrictions in 2026
No Comments
KKTV 11, Approved, State

Colorado to Enforce New Gun Purchase and Ammunition Restrictions in 2026

By: Rachel Ramsey | KKTV 11 COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KKTV) - Some of the new gun laws set to take effect in Colorado this summer have gotten mixed reactions. Those who support the new laws say they will improve public safety. Those against them say they infringe on Second Amendment rights. Senate Bill 25-003 has seen the most controversy. The law is set to take effect August 1, and will ban the purchase of certain semi-automatic firearms unless certain requirements are met. Those requirements include applying for a permit through your local sheriff’s office, then, if approved, taking gun courses. READ THE FULL ARTICLE AT KKTV 11
Read More
16 Victims Identified in Disturbing Colorado Hypnosis Sexual Abuse Investigation of Former Teacher
No Comments
CBS Colorado, Approved, State

16 Victims Identified in Disturbing Colorado Hypnosis Sexual Abuse Investigation of Former Teacher

By Sarah Horbacewicz | CBS Colorado A man who says he is one of at least sixteen victims in an elaborate and disturbing criminal ring that was busted in Colorado is hoping sharing his story could inspire other potential victims to come forward. On Tuesday, the Boulder County Sheriff's Office announced they had arrested former Colorado teacher and 39-year-old suspect, Patricio Illanes on Monday night. Illanes is facing 50 charges of sexual exploitation of a child after more than a decade of working with children. North Carolina resident Diego Pantojas told CBS Colorado he was 16 in 2022 when he joined communities online about hypnosis. But Pantojas says he quickly found himself in an inappropriate conversation with a man in his 30s in Colorado that was allegedly Illa...
Read More
Bipartisan Colorado Bill Targets Tougher Prison Time for Child Trafficking Predators
No Comments
The Denver Gazette, Approved, State

Bipartisan Colorado Bill Targets Tougher Prison Time for Child Trafficking Predators

By: Marianne Goodland | The Denver Gazette Colorado legislators on Monday announced a proposal to ramp up the penalties for human trafficking of children. The proposal, which received the backing of Democratic and Republican leaders in the House, will address one of the many problems when dealing with individuals who buy children for sexual exploitation — penalties so low that most offenders get probation, not real prison or jail time, according to the bill’s backers. At a news conference attended by dozens of law enforcement officials, district attorneys and victim advocates, 17th Judicial District Attorney Brian Mason pointed out that Colorado is in the top 10 states for human trafficking. The measure goes after people who pay for kids for sexual gratification...
Read More
Justice Served as Colorado Child Predator Receives 84-Year Federal Prison Sentence
No Comments
The Western Journal, Approved, State

Justice Served as Colorado Child Predator Receives 84-Year Federal Prison Sentence

By Jack Davis | The Western Journal A 31-year-old Colorado man has been sentenced to 84 years in prison after pleading guilty to multiple counts of the sexual exploitation of minors. Austin Ryan Lauless, 31, was sentenced on Dec. 17, according to a Department of Justice news release. In addition to prison time, he faces a lifetime of supervised release. Lauless pleaded guilty to 13 counts of sexual exploitation of a child, five counts of sex trafficking of a minor, two counts of advertising child sexual abuse material, and possession of child sexual abuse material, the Justice Department said. The release said the 84 American victims come from almost every state, and that victims from at least five foreign countries have been identified. READ THE FUL...
Read More
Colorado Voters Could Decide Future Of ICE And Local Law Enforcement Cooperation
No Comments
DENVER7, Approved, State

Colorado Voters Could Decide Future Of ICE And Local Law Enforcement Cooperation

By Ryan Fish | Denver7 Initiative, currently undergoing signature verification, would include offenders charged with a violent crime or repeat felony. DENVER — Next fall, Colorado voters could decide whether local law enforcement should be required to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement, such as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in certain cases. The proposed ballot measure would require law enforcement notify the Department of Homeland Security if a person “not lawfully present in the United States”—or with an “unknown” lawful presence after a “reasonable effort” to determine it—is charged with a violent crime or if the person has been convicted of a prior felony. Conservative non-profit Advance Colorado is pushing for the p...
Read More
Antisemitic Threats Force Early Closure Of Jewish Center In Denver
No Comments
DENVER7, Approved, Local

Antisemitic Threats Force Early Closure Of Jewish Center In Denver

By Jeff Anastasio | Denver7 “Antisemitism continues to show up here in Colorado, and today’s incident is another troubling example,” wrote Brandon Rattiner, Director, Jewish Community Relations Council. DENVER – JEWISHcolorado and Staenberg-Loup Jewish Center closed early Tuesday and will remain closed through Wednesday after receiving “repeated antisemitic and threatening phone calls,” according to the Jewish Community Relations Council. A digital message about the early closure went out to the community and Denver7 followed up with JEWISHcolorado, which said the calls, from an unidentified caller, began around 3 p.m. Tuesday. READ THE FULL ARTICLE AT DENVER7
Read More
Feds Indict Two Suspected Tren de Aragua Leaders in Denver Racketeering Case
No Comments
The Denver Gazette, Approved, Local

Feds Indict Two Suspected Tren de Aragua Leaders in Denver Racketeering Case

By Nico Brambila | The Denver Gazette Denver and federal officials announced the indictment of two suspected Tren de Aragua (TdA) leaders in Denver on Thursday for racketeering that included robbery, extortion, kidnapping, money laundering and controlled substance abuse over a 14-month period in 2024. Indicted were Giovanni Vicente Mosquera Serrano and Brawins Dominique Suarez Villegas, aka “Chino San Vicente.” Gang members have been linked to a myriad of criminal activities that include human trafficking — specifically immigrant women and girls — drug trafficking, kidnapping, and money laundering. According to U.S. authorities, members of the Venezuelan prison gang hid in plain sight by infiltrating immigrants headed north. But the gang’s brutal reputation — ma...
Read More
Data Breach Fallout Leaves Douglas County Without Full Emergency Alert Coverage As Fire Danger Rises
No Comments
DENVER7, Approved, Local

Data Breach Fallout Leaves Douglas County Without Full Emergency Alert Coverage As Fire Danger Rises

By Maggie Bryan | Denver7 The Douglas County Sheriff says his office is switching to Rave Alert to notify residents about local emergencies. The sheriff's office ended its contract with CodeRED last month after a data breach. CASTLE ROCK, Colo. — As high fire danger and strong winds are expected along the Front Range on Wednesday, a critical resource used to alert Douglas County residents to emergencies, such as fire evacuations, is in the midst of a transition. Douglas County Sheriff Darren Weekly said his office signed a new contract to provide emergency alerts through Rave Alert, an emergency alert system owned by Motorola. In November, the Douglas County Sheriff's Office (DCSO) terminated its contract with CodeRED, an emergency alert system, after the company ex...
Read More
Evergreen Pantry Gets Nearly 2,000 Pounds of Aid Delivered by Deputies
No Comments
kdvr.com, Approved, Local

Evergreen Pantry Gets Nearly 2,000 Pounds of Aid Delivered by Deputies

By Anna Coon | KDVR EVERGREEN, Colo. (KDVR) — A local food pantry in Evergreen received a major donation Saturday after deputies with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office delivered nearly 2,000 pounds of food and supplies, much of it carried on their backs. Deputies trekked three miles through Evergreen carrying 50-pound packs filled with food and toiletries as part of a charity ruck, starting at Evergreen High School and ending at Evergreen Christian Outreach. “We train for this stuff, right?” Deputy Sheriff Drake Acosta said. “We make sure we’re all physically fit and ready to go for anything that comes our way. So just another Saturday afternoon for us.” The event is an annual holiday tradition for the Jefferson County Special Operations Response Team. In pa...
Read More
Colorado Repeat Offender Freed by Court Accused of Killing Mother of Three
No Comments
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...
Read More