Douglas County Sheriff's Office

Off Limits

Rave Heart

Sheriff's departments across Colorado choose not to remain silent about raves.

Call Me Crazy

When the accused reject a not-guilty plea, Colorado's insanity law breaks down.

Trial and Tribulations

Naim Amini fled Afghanistan to build a new life, a life now lost in the translation.

Colorado Crimes: The disadvantages of robbing someone you know

Brandon Gaitan. According to the Douglas County Sheriff's Office, Brandon Gaitan and Keith Paris II, both 19, had what must have seemed like a good idea at the time: break into the apartment of someone on vacation and do whatever for as long as they wanted. Problem is, said vacationer returned home ... More >>

Off Limits

Can't we all just get along?

For Heaven's Sake!

This was the year many Coloradans decided to play God -- and I'm not happy about it.

Caught in the Net

The Web was a pedophile's paradise -- until Mike and Cassandra Harris logged on.

Recreate '68 Plans to Do Just That

Chicago in 1968 was a place of violence and chaos. Some activists would like to re-create those good old days.

Panhandle With Care

We're all just a home away from homeless.

Teachers Fret

Are educators about to go postal?

Strange but True

A year of dysfunctional family values -- and missing panties.

Home Sweet Clone

Twenty-year-old Highlands Ranch has grown into a mega-planned community of mythic proportions.

Fortress of Solitude

Two new county justice centers are high-tech, high-security--and designed to keep prisoners and the public in their place.

Do Tell

Notorious Denver informant Mark Tibbs has finked his way through a lot of cases. But can he talk his way out of this one?

Off Limits

Notorious Denver informant Mark Tibbs has finked his way through a lot of cases. But can he talk his way out of this one?

NO DOG HAS HIS DAY

"SUE THE CREEP" IN THE DOG-POISONING CASE? IN COLORADO, YOU'RE BARKING UP THE WRONG TREE.

Mile High Murder, No. 34: Dominick Wilmer charged with vehicular homicide in deaths of Jonathan Richardson and Grace Cruthers

View Larger Map The crash that took place during the wee hours of August 15 on Titan Road near Rampart Range Road, an area captured in the graphic above (if you have problems seeing the image, click "View Larger Map"), certainly qualifies as a tragic accident. But according to the Douglas County She ... More >>

Another marijuana-grow operation is uprooted in Pike National Forest

Assorted agencies took down a marijuana-grow operation on Sugarloaf Mountain in July.​As smoke continues to gather over medical-marijuana operations in Colorado, local law-enforcement agencies continue to find weed-growing operations in remote locations -- and Pike National Forest appears to b ... More >>

Let us prey: Volunteer youth minister charged with sexual assault on a child, detectives investigating possibility of more victims

William "Bill" McLaughlin is accused of ministering in an especially sick way.​Volunteer youth minister William "Bill" McLaughlin has been in Douglas County jail since mid-December on a $500,000 bail thanks to multiple charges of sexual assault on a child. But the Douglas County Sheriff's Offi ... More >>

Jay DeVaughn, librarian, likely to be charged with using mail to send white powder, bizarre threats in Spanish aimed at "dirty fascists"

Jay DeVaughn, in an image broadcast on 9News.​Jay DeVaughn, a librarian for the Community College of Aurora, has been accused of mailing a threatening letter -- a fairly straight-forward charge. But the criminal complaint filed against him in U.S. District Court hints at future counts based on ... More >>

David Dolan, Colorado State Patrol officer, arrested for investigation of driving drunk in squad car

A 9News image of CSP's David Dolan getting busted.​Usually, Colorado State Patrol officers respond to reports of erratic driving. But this morning, things worked the other way around. Motorists complained about problems relating to a CSP vehicle, leading to a stop by Douglas County Sheriff's O ... More >>

David Dolan likely first-ever Colorado State Patrol trooper caught driving drunk on duty, spokesman says

David Dolan during a more sober moment.​Colorado State Patrol Trooper David Dolan spent 21 years on the job without getting nearly as much attention as he did yesterday, when Douglas County Sheriff's Office personnel pulled him over and arrested him on suspicion of drunk driving. It was certa ... More >>

Limping Latex Bandit has premature explosion in his car

No, not that kind of latex.​Update, 4:32 p.m.: Just notified by the Douglas County Sheriff's Office that Merle Allison, who's believed to be the Limping Latex Bandit, has been captured. Look below the original item to get all the details. As the number of Denver area robberies continue to cap ... More >>

Operation Cock Block tries to protect women's hearts and pocketbooks from this crooked Casanova

No, not that kind of latex.​Update, 4:32 p.m.: Just notified by the Douglas County Sheriff's Office that Merle Allison, who's believed to be the Limping Latex Bandit, has been captured. Look below the original item to get all the details. As the number of Denver area robberies continue to cap ... More >>

Jay DeVaughn, Aurora librarian: Guilty pleas, powder mailings, lotsa weirdness

Jay DeVaughn: Maybe not the best pen pal...​In March, we told you about the strange case of Jay DeVaughn, a librarian for the Community College of Aurora, who at that point had been accused of mailing a single threatening letter. But the criminal complaint filed against him at that time conta ... More >>

Michael Tesman: Text messaging victim, stun gun help lead to alleged kidnapper's arrest

Michael Tesman.​The arrest of Michael Tesman on charges of second-degree kidnapping came together like the law-enforcement equivalent of aligning planets. Credit goes to the reported victim, Tesman's ex-wife, who was able to text message her son about the situation, plus a helpful bartender a ... More >>

Michael Tesman: No kidnapping charge in case of text-message-aided bust

Michael Tesman.​A week ago today, Michael Tesman was arrested in what a Douglas County Sheriff's Office release described as a second-degree kidnapping. Authorities reportedly coordinated the bust with help from Tesman's alleged victim -- his ex-wife, whose text messages about her location wer ... More >>

Officer-involved shooting in Douglas County leaves suspect in critical condition

The Stagecoach.​Thus far, the Douglas County Sheriff's Office is sharing only the barest details about a Saturday afternoon shooting outside the Stagecoach, a Franktown watering hole -- other than the fact that both a deputy and the suspect were shot in an exchange of gunfire, with the former ... More >>

Richard Anderson identified as gunman in officer-involved shooting in Douglas County

Richard Anderson.​Yesterday, we told you about an officer-involved shooting on Bayou Gulch Road in Douglas County that left a deputy slightly wounded and a suspect in critical condition. The latter has now been identified as Richard Anderson, 51. He's likely to face charges of attempted first ... More >>

Fifteen-year old allegedly robs convenience store at gunpoint to steal... a pack of cigarettes?

Flickr​Cigarettes are extremely pricey these days -- but has the cost gotten so high that they're worth risking an armed robbery beef? That's one way to interpret the story of a fifteen-year old from Castle Rock, who avoided paying for smokes by pulling a gun.

Ron Rocha, Regis coach, part of 20-kilos-a-week cocaine-ring bust: See mug shots & drug photos

Large photos below.​Last month, Ron Rocha, a volunteer baseball coach for Regis University, was on the losing end of an intra-squad matchup dubbed the Fall World Series. But he suffered an even greater defeat yesterday, when he was among 35 people named by the U.S. Attorney's Office in the bus ... More >>

Are these your stolen family photos & property?: See gallery o' stuff possibly traded for meth

Large photos below.​Last month, Araphaoe County Sheriff's Office reps discovered a storage unit full of presumably stolen items that may have been traded for meth; Ali Samei was busted on drug-related charges. The weird collection ranges from a slot machine to family photos that may show victi ... More >>

Roohallah Mobarez, Highlands Ranch dental assistant, charged with sex assault on four kids

Big pic below.​The last thing a parent wants to worry about when sending a child to the dentist is that an assistant will do terribly inappropriate things while the young patient is drugged or defenseless. But that's one possible interpretation of info released thus far about Roohallah Mobarez ... More >>

Suicidal man prompts standoff with SWAT team on 9600 block of Maribou Court in Littleton

Near the scene.​Last night, residents living on or near the 9600 block of Maribou Court in Littleton were asked not to leave their houses for several hours -- except for those police escorted out. The reason? A standoff between the Douglas County SWAT team and a suicidal man who barricaded hi ... More >>

Jeff Egnor, aka Abu Mybutt: Douglas County lieutenant takes Shmuckery online

Abu Mybutt.​Have you always wondered about the juvenile idiots who post hateful screeds in the comments section of newspapers, TV stations and blogs? Have you wondered if they were twisted gun nuts living in mountain cabins or douchey frat boys living in their parents' basements? Did you wond ... More >>

Phillip Abernathy & Connor Greenwall: Teens allegedly just old enough to distribute child porn

Big pics below.​There's something more than a little creepy about suspects barely beyond childhood accused of distributing child pornography. But that's what the Douglas County Sheriff's Office accuses Phillip Abernathy and Connor Greenwall of doing in separate cases. Below, see full size boo ... More >>

Christopher Wells, 3 others charged in killings of his ex, Amara Wells, & Robert Rafferty (56 & 57)

Fox 31​Update: Christopher Wells may have been in custody at the time the bodies of his ex-wife, Amara Wells, and Robert Rafferty were discovered -- but the Douglas County Sheriff's Office still believes he played a key role in their deaths. Along with Josiah Sher, Matthew Plake and Micah Wood ... More >>

Burning Tree Fire near Franktown: 95% contained, livestock can't return yet (VIDEOS)

Videos below.​Update: Wow, that was fast. Almost as quickly as the Burning Tree fire near Franktown flared up, crews supplemented by aircraft borrowed from the Indian Gulch fire in the Golden area have knocked it down. According to the Douglas County Sheriff's Office, containment currently sta ... More >>

Spruce Mountain Open Space becomes canvas for lamest graffiti ever (PHOTOS)

Big pics below.​Graffiti can be artistically fascinating or it can be simple vandalism. This is a post about the second kind. At least 33 different spots in the Spruce Mountain Open Space area have been tagged by folks with a skill mainly for despoiling nature. And the Douglas County Sheriff's ... More >>

Top 25 most violent fugitives in Denver: A mug shot and offense gallery (PHOTOS)

"I'm only No. 20?"​The Denver Police Department has trimmed its fifty most wanted fugitives list by half but multiplied the mayhem via its roster of the city's 25 most violent fugitives. The mug shots of those who follow first target Robert Juan Gee stand out thanks to the best neck tattoo (No ... More >>

Krystal Kurcz, Megan Cassidy latest arrests in Amara Wells, Robert Rafferty homicides (56, 57)

Big pics below.​The alleged conspiracy that led to the Keene Ranch murders of Amara Wells and Robert Rafferty Jr. has just grown larger. Already arrested were Christopher Wells, Amara's ex, plus a trio of his co-workers from a Colorado Springs car dealership. Now, Krystal Kurcz and Megan Cassi ... More >>

Thomas Howie charged with starting Crystal Fire, 15-year-old suspected in Pinery blazes

Big pic below.​As the Crystal fire in Larimer County was finally winding down last week, authorities announced their suspicion that it was human-caused -- and now they think they've got the human who did it: Thomas Howie, 36. Meanwhile, Douglas County officials believe a fifteen-year old start ... More >>

To protect and swerve: a drag-racing Aurora cop

Greased Lightnin'!​Police officers get to drive fast when the sirens are wailing. But they are supposed to slow down once they change out of their uniforms and get into their own personal cars. Aren't they? On Thursday, 9News reported that both the Aurora Police Department and the Douglas Cou ... More >>

Matthew Plake, Megan Cassidy, busted in Amara Wells/Robert Rafferty murders: Into bondage?

Big pics below.​The Keene Ranch murders of Amara Wells and Robert Rafferty Jr. in February resulted in the arrests of several alleged conspirators, including Matthew Plake. Then, in April, Krystal Kurcz and Megan Cassidy were charged as accessories -- but authorities declined to reveal their c ... More >>

Ronald Eugene Miller: Imagine finding him in your house -- naked

Big pic below.​There's nothing like a good neighbor -- and according to the Douglas County Sheriff's Office, Ronald Eugene Miller is nothing like one. Or at least he wasn't earlier this month, when he decided to get comfortable in a nearby house. Really comfortable.

Marijuana seizure in Pike National Forest: Were the 3,000 plants really worth $9 million?

Big pics below.​In its first announcement about the seizure of more than 3,000 marijuana plants from a plot in Pike National Forest, an ultra-popular place for illegal grows (more on that later), the Douglas County Sheriff's Office estimated that the weed was worth $900,000. However, that was ... More >>

Father Richard James Kurtz, Jesuit Priest, busted in alleged 2001 sex assault on minor

Big pics below.​The arrest in Chicago of Father Richard James Kurtz, a Jesuit priest, for alleged sex assault on an underage male victim in Colorado is disturbing, obviously, but also puzzling. After all, the crime was reportedly committed and reported to authorities in 2001. So why did it ta ... More >>

Strange but true news stories from the past year

Also read: 2011 Hall of Shame

Eight-year-old abducted from Castle Pine Safeway? Don't worry -- it was only a test

CART agency.​Yesterday, the Douglas County Sheriff's Office received a 911 call about a missing child: An eight-year-old had been abducted from the Safeway on 560 Castle Pines Parkway. Patrol deputies and detectives promptly retrieved a video of the abduction from a Safeway surveillance camera ... More >>