Colorado Springs Police Department

More Pieces of the Matthew Murray Puzzle

Risk Averse

Colorado Springs police don't name a crime victim because of his advanced age, even though he shot and killed his attacker.

Strange but True

Colorado Springs police don't name a crime victim because of his advanced age, even though he shot and killed his attacker.

Bull's Eyeful

The sordid legal saga of Katica Crippen, Second Amendment pinup girl.

The Home of the Rave

Promoters hurry to get their acts together -- before parents, police and the courts decide the party's over.

Medical marijuana grow robbed in Colorado Springs, owners beaten

Hope the thieves have a green thumb...​Marijuana is a lot easier to steal once it's been cultivated and packaged. So perhaps it's an indication of how good the security systems are at Colorado Springs dispensaries that early this morning, three goons invaded a home in the city's Sand Creek sub ... More >>

Ronald McDonald: Has embattled mascot resorted to armed robbery in Colorado Springs?

Take the money and run?​On Friday, Corporate Accountability International called for McDonald's to dump Ronald McDonald as its mascot, arguing that he's a negative factor when it comes to addressing childhood obesity. Cut to early Sunday morning, when the Colorado Springs Police Department re ... More >>

Text invite turns into April Fools' Day date from hell

A Flickr photo"Come on over for something special ;)"​Don't know what a guy expected yesterday when he responded to a text message from a woman he'd just met inviting him to come over. Maybe a friendly conversation -- or a glass of white wine -- or a booty call straight out of a hip-hop video. ... More >>

William James Rucker earns 17-year sentence for what was in his Crown Royal bag -- a gun

This would have gone down a lot more smoothy.​The item in William James Rucker's Crown Royal bag packed quite a kick -- maybe because it was manufactured by Smith & Wesson. Yesterday, Rucker, who'd been convicted of five previous crimes punishable by over a year in stir, took imprisonment to ... More >>

Alfred Luedtke has sword, will threaten -- until the cops tase him

Not Alfred Luedtke (although maybe in his mind).​Anyone can threaten people with a gun. People who do that are as common as Caucasians at Tea Party rallies. But Alfred Luedtke, 42, is allegedly a cut above. This weekend, according to the Colorado Springs Police Department, officers arrived a ... More >>

Marijuana grow raids in Colorado Springs: Cops say timing wasn't political statement

Seven Colorado Springs grows were targeted.​MMJ advocates have greeted the passage of HB 1284, a bill to regulate the medical marijuana industry, with cheers (from CMMR's Matt Brown), boos (courtesy of Cannabis Therapy Institute's Laura Kriho) or a blend of both (Sensible Colorado's Brian Vice ... More >>

Jason Wallace busted, another man dead in latest potential Make My Day case

Jason Wallace.​A day after the Marcus Duran shooting was ruled a justifiable homicide amid reports that the homeowner who fired the fatal shots has received threats, another potential Make-My-Day incident took place -- this one in Colorado Springs. The Springs-area homeowner reportedly shot a ... More >>

Medical marijuana dispensary burglar thin enough to squeeze between bars in door

Did Flat Stanley have an alibi?​To be a good burglar, a person needs stealth, toughness and a faulty moral compass. But apparently being bizarrely thin helps, too. According to the Colorado Springs Police Department, a medical marijuana dispensary located at the posted address of Colorado Can ... More >>

Rave at Phil Long Event Center: 19 arrests for booze, weed, meth, coke, ecstasy

A Flickr photo​This past Friday, a rave was scheduled at the Phil Long Event Center in Colorado Springs -- and the local police force was ready. The cops were stationed nearby when the doors opened, and before the party wound down at 4 a.m., nineteen people had been arrested for a potpourri o ... More >>

Carl Martin: Phony cop allegedly confiscates weed -- and eats it

Carl Martin.​Although marijuana is included in many edible products these days, few people choose to eat it in the form of a joint. That's one of many ways Carl Martin allegedly stands apart. Note that he's accused of confiscating said joint while pretending to be a cop -- and then after gulp ... More >>

Gang attack in Colorado Springs?: 10-15 men in gold Cadillacs bum-rush house, stab 44-year-old

Near the crime scene.​Early Sunday morning in Colorado Springs, between ten and fifteen men jumped out of four cars (including two gold Cadillacs), invaded a home and stabbed the occupant, a 44-year-old man. It's a scenario that screams "gang violence" -- and while the Colorado Springs Police ... More >>

Rene Ogden, possible victim in Colorado Springs triple homicide: A tale from happier times

CBS4​Colorado Springs Police haven't ID'd the woman and two teens found dead yesterday in cases being investigated as homicides. But the residence in question was reportedly occupied by the Ogdens: parents Tommy and Rene, kids Olivia and Chase. And in a Reunion.com post, Rene portrayed their l ... More >>

Rene Ogden and twins Olivia and Chase ID'd in CO Springs deaths: Was she depressed?

Large photo below.​The Colorado Springs Police Department has confirmed that Rene Ogden and twins Olivia and Chase died in their home on Monday -- but not much else. Husband Tommy Ogden is reportedly cooperating with police, but nothing has been ruled out -- neither an intruder homicide nor mu ... More >>

Rene Ogden killed twins Chase and Olivia, then committed suicide, says El Paso County coroner

Rene Ogden.​Earlier this week, Rene Ogden and twins Chase and Olivia were found dead in their Colorado Springs area home. In the immediate aftermath of the tragedy, police declined to rule out any possible causes for their deaths even as reports surfaced that Rene had recently seemed depressed ... More >>

Grocery groper: See suspect who allegedly squeezed more than fruit at CO Springs market

The suspect.​Creepster alert: Colorado Springs Police are on the lookout for a man who allegedly stalked a woman at an area King Soopers, then put his arm around her neck and fondled her breasts and behind until she convinced him to stop with a well-placed elbow. That kinda thing may be okay ... More >>

Anthony Ganter, babysitter from hell, accused of sexually assaulting fourteen male children

Large photo below.​Beware the single guy who's a little too eager to babysit your male children -- at least if he resembles the description emerging of Anthony Ganter. Colorado Springs authorities have charged Ganter with sexual assault on a child, plus failure to register as a sex offender, i ... More >>

Ramone Hollins: Fort Carson soldier busted for MMJ burglary says he wanted to destroy the pot

Large photos below.​As we noted on Monday, the bust of three men trying to burglarize a Colorado Springs dispensary was an example of clever police work -- but the excuse used by arrestee Ramone Hollins was even more inventive. Hollins -- a Fort Carson soldier, as were his alleged accomplices ... More >>

Joshua Amoroso, Gateway Church youth pastor in CO Springs, bused for sexual assault on a child

Joshua Amoroso.​By definition, a youth pastor has access to lotsa young folks. And Joshua Amoroso, 21, who served in this capacity at Colorado Springs' Gateway Church, is accused of violating the trust required by someone in that position in the worst possible way -- with a fourteen-year-old g ... More >>

Over $1 million in damages from copper thefts? Michael Evans, others busted for alleged scheme

Large pics below.​The still-bad economy has inspired a number of small-time metal thieves -- like Richard Goodface and Duane Brown, who allegedly swiped Denver storm grates in October. But according to the Colorado Springs Police Department, they're pikers in comparison with several suspects a ... More >>

Paper Cha$ers Ink: Lee Lacey, ten others accused in identity-theft, counterfeiting ring

Big pics below.​If you're going to be part of a criminal enterprise, make sure it has a cool name -- like Paper Cha$ers Ink, an alleged group of identity thieves and counterfeiters. The Colorado Springs Police Department has rounded up eight suspects, with three more to go. Check out their pho ... More >>

Morgan Sellman, Aurora Police's DARE coordinator, busted for child porn

Big pic below.​Talk about a nightmare scenario for the Aurora Police Department. Not only has one of their own, Sergeant Morgan Sellman, been busted for child pornography, but his most recent assignment has been as the DARE program coordinator. Fortunately, Sellman's DARE duties haven't includ ... More >>

Puppy stomped to death, thrown in dumpster

Christopher Blackstone's mug. Larger image below.​Two days before Christmas, Christopher Blackstone of Colorado Springs got into an argument with his girlfriend, Talitha Peterson-Hooks. She ignored his subsequent calls and texts, and, according to the police report, that's when Blackstone tur ... More >>

Domino's next ad campaign?: Thief steals pizza & wings from delivery man, doesn't take money!

Big pic below.​Last year at this time, Domino's launched a risky ad campaign, in which the company admitted that (shocking surprise) its food was mediocre -- but it vowed to improve! Now, it's time for a follow-up, and we've got a suggestion for a new spokesperson: Isaiah Pickens, who apparent ... More >>

Oxycontin thief wanted: Do you recognize man who robbed a Colorado Springs Walgreens?

Big pics below.​Yes, Oxycontin is expensive, and getting a prescription for it isn't easy -- but that doesn't mean it's okay to tell a pharmacist you've got a weapon and swipe as much of it as possible. According to the Colorado Springs Police Department, a thief recently did just that. Look b ... More >>

Parris Mathis: Weed apparently didn't mellow man accused of beating couple with spirit stick

Big pic below.​Was Parris Mathis immune to marijuana's well-known calming effects? You've gotta wonder given the police release about his arrest. Seems he got into an argument with a woman for "sitting on the stairwell" (!), and when a man tried to intervene, he allegedly pummeled both of them ... More >>

Grenade wrapped in duct tape found in Colorado Springs park: Happy Valentine's Day!

Flickr​What to get that special someone on Valentine's Day? Candy and flowers are so played out -- so how about a hand grenade? Granted, we don't know for certain that the grenade found at Colorado Springs' Memorial Park yesterday morning was intended as a gift. But it was wrapped -- in duct t ... More >>

Allen Rose: Detra Farries charged in tow-truck driver's dragging death, memorial planned

Allen Rose.​Update: The woman driving the vehicle behind which tow-truck driver Allen Rose was dragged to death has been identified as Detra Farries, 32 -- and she's been charged with manslaughter in relation to the awful incident. Meanwhile, plans are underway to memorialize Rose tomorrow.

SouthSide Johnny's: Altercations between two groups at CO Springs bar lead to three stabbings

The scene.​The website of SouthSide Johnny's in Colorado Springs declares, "It's better to eat at a great bar than drink at a restaurant." But brawls are best avoided anywhere -- and one broke out at the venue during Sunday's wee hours. The result of confrontations between two groups? Three st ... More >>

Dog shooting: Owner of bull mastiff shot after attacking greyhound gets banned-dog summons

Big pic below.​Update: As we noted yesterday, no charges were filed in the immediate aftermath of an incident in which a man shot a 140-pound dog after it attacked his greyhound -- and that remains the case at this writing. However, the owner of the dead pet -- a bullmastiff named Flato -- has ... More >>

Eric Caverly, youth group volunteer with CO Springs church, accused of child sex assault

Big pic below.​Eric Caverly, 37, was a youth group volunteer with a Colorado Springs church -- and we're using the past tense in this sentence because he's presumably been cut loose following his arrest on suspicion of sexual assault on a child. The victim in question? A young woman who was si ... More >>

Michael Arangio, Ernest Schmidt wanted in separate homicides that left four dead in Springs

Big pics below.​Denver hasn't exactly been bloodshed free of late. Note the shocking murders of Sergeant Anthony Silva and onetime medical marijuana dispensary owner Michael "SK" Walker in recent weeks. But the body count is higher in Colorado Springs, where four are dead in two separate incid ... More >>

Pit bulls at center of two shootings by Colorado police officers in two days

​The debate about Denver's longstanding pit bull ban continues to raise passions among those who love the breed, as well as people who fear it. And this week, two separate incidents have fired more debate. One in which Edgewater officers killed a Rottweiler after the dog and a pit bull chased ... More >>

Arthur Baldwin allegedly fires shots, tries to grab student selling discount cards

Big pic below.​Most of us don't enjoy dealing with door-to-door salespersons. Even when they don't show up during dinner (which they usually do), they disrupt your personal time and space in irritating ways. But Arthur Baldwin allegedly took this dislike way too far... even before he grabbed ... More >>

Fire extinguisher used as weapon in Colorado Springs robbery

Flickr​We tend to think of fire extinguishers as dampening trouble rather than causing it to flare up. But that wasn't the case late last night at a Colorado Springs apartment at which police say a fire extinguisher was used as a weapon by a crew of goons.

Hooters undercover bust finds Colorado Springs cops acting like a couple of boobs (and shmucks)

Criminal-minded?​So, a couple of guys walk into a Hooters in Colorado Springs, sit down and order some beers, and then start following one of the young, scantily-clad waitresses with their eyes. Sounds like a typical night at Hooters, right? Except the two guys were undercover cops who were, u ... More >>

Aleister Wild guitarist Terry Span in coma after altercation with bassist Michael Sorden

Update 10/21/11: More troubling news today out of the Springs. There's been several reports filtering in last night and this afternoon that Aliester Wild guitarist Terry Span has passed away. We'll post more details as they become available. BandMix.comMichael Sorden (left) and Terry Span of Alies ... More >>

Kevin Gaylor reports Craigslist pal as burglar when girlfriend shows up

Flickr​The guy juggling two dates at the same time is a sitcom staple, and it's usually resolved in wacky fashion. But a happy ending seems unlikely in the case of Kevin Gaylor, who gave this plot a high-tech twist -- by reporting a woman he'd "met" on Craigslist as a burglar in a failed atte ... More >>

Robert James busted for robbing Indispensary, Colorado Springs medical marijuana center

Big pic below.​Update below: It didn't take long for the Colorado Springs Police Department to draw a bead on the man captured by security cameras robbing a branch of the Indispensary medical marijuana center. Robert Cody James, nineteen, is currently in custody, due in part to his decision t ... More >>

Occupy Colorado Springs evicted by cops after mayor denies renewal of camping permit

​If you had to compare another Colorado occupation to that of Occupy Denver, Occupy Colorado Springs might provide one of the most stark contrasts. As of early this morning, however, both groups share recent and complete evictions off of city property. Around 1 a.m., the Colorado Springs Poli ... More >>

Vincente Romero gets his Grinch on, leads police on chase after allegedly stealing toys

​Sure, The Grinch Who Stole Christmas is a holiday classic. But wouldn't it be even better with a car crash and an on-foot police chase? Judge for yourself after hearing the seasonal tale of Vincente Romero, who's accused of Grinchy behavior and vehicular mayhem that had nothing to do with a ... More >>

Marcus Smith, man suspected of killing, burning remains of ex-deacon, 87: His apologetic past

Big photo below.​The allegation is shocking: Colorado Springs Police believe Marcus Smith, 21, killed Kathryn "Kit" Grazioli, an 87-year-old former church deacon, and burned her body. This act contrasts strongly with an apology letter he wrote in regard to the theft of a computer and DVDs two ... More >>

Melissa Alexander faces possible 1st degree murder charge in death of Army beau's baby

Big pic below.​When Army recruit Matt Strickland was assigned to spend a month training in Louisiana in preparation for overseas deployment, he reportedly trusted his girlfriend, Melissa Alexander, to care for his one-year-old daughter. The decision had fatal consequences: The tot's dead and A ... More >>

Glen Godec, children's photographer and alleged porn fan, accused of sexually assaulting a child

Big pic below.​Glen Godec's Photobucket page features well over 1,000 images, most seemingly benign. But the closer you look, the more you notice that the preponderance of shots feature little girls -- a fact that's been rendered ultra-creepy by news that Godec has been busted on a couple of s ... More >>

Andrew Encalade ID'd as Springs quadruple shooting victim, suspect Alonzo Paige at large

Big photos below.​Update: We now know the name of the second person killed in a quadruple shooting at the Timberland Apartments in Colorado Springs on Tuesday: Andrew Encalade, age 23. If that name sounds familiar, it should. His older brother Adam, age 26, was injured in the gunplay but surv ... More >>