The sweet plea deal struck by former Arapahoe County sheriff Pat Sullivan for meth possession and soliciting prostitution, which netted him a sentence of thirty days in jail and probation, has been widely criticized for its leniency. But no one is probably in a better position to appreciate the break…
On May 9, four people were shot in Montbello, with one of them subsequently dying. It was a shocking incident, but like many crimes thought to be gang-related, it hasn’t gotten much media attention. And five days later, the victim who died in the case still hasn’t been identified by…
Update: The troubles faced by head-injured Boulder Police officer Christian McCracken continue to mount. Now, in addition to charges (including attempted first-degree murder) related to his alleged stalking of a Boulder dispatcher, he’s facing drug allegations related to Schedule III narcotics concealed in a Skittles bag…
The conviction yesterday of Angel Montoya in the death of three-year-old Neveah Gallegos ends a long journey not only for the child’s loved ones, but also for police, prosecutors and the public. After all, Neveah died in 2007 and Montoya and Miriam Gallegos were arrested shortly thereafter. But justice was…
Denver’s proposed urban camping ban has a lot of people talking — about legality, repercussions and enforcement, the last of which Police Chief Robert White promises will be “very passive.” But what about representation? This morning, Westword spoke to Charles Nadler, president of the Colorado chapter of the National Lawyers…
Roberto Santistevan’s booking photo was prominently featured in our most memorable mug shots of 2011 post, for obvious reasons: He was injured when while being subdued by neighbors, as detailed in a document below. But the damage he inflicted while stabbing Crystal Crespin to death was infinitely worse — which…
A lot of us have hard drives crammed to bursting with photos and videos. But even by those standards, Jon Christopher Baker’s array of images stands out. One computer apparently stored 30,000 photos and 1,400 videos. Oh yeah: The collection allegedly consisted of child pornography…
After nearly five days of testimony in a lawsuit brought by Troy Anderson, a prisoner who’s been in solitary confinement for twelve years, a Denver federal judge was strongly urging Colorado Department of Corrections officials to fix the harshest conditions at the state’s supermax prison — before he has to…
Last December, we told you about the arrest of youth hockey coach Zachary Meints on five Internet sexual exploitation of a child counts. Now, as he’s scheduled to appear in court today, more details are emerging about messaging that’s said to have included encouragement to take part in “masturbation races.”…
Jeffrey Wells, a Department of Corrections parole officer based in Grand Junction, is well regarded by his fellow employees, who recently named him top employee of the quarter. But he’s less venerated by John Morgan and three other parolees, who are currently suing him for allegedly forging documents in order…
Women in Denver are arrested for prostitution-related crimes more often than men and are punished more harshly, according to “Who Pays?,” a new study by the Denver-based Laboratory to Combat Human Trafficking. The question of why is still a bit of a mystery, but researchers think it may be tied…
This past weekend, Denver police began investigating the death of a woman on South Bryant Street as a homicide. Since then, the DPD has launched a manhunt for Pedro Rios Lopez, who’s accused of murdering his estranged wife, Berta Rios Lopez, and leaving her body to be found by her…
Two strangers get into a dustup at a nightspot for no good reason: It’s an incredibly common story that’s probably happening at this very moment somewhere on the planet. But an incident that took place at the Oasis Hookah Bar stands out because it’s being investigated as a bias-motivated crime…
Here at the Criminal Affairs Desk, we’ve tried to aid the rehabilitation process by offering newly convicted felons some insiders’ advice for that difficult transition to life behind bars. We’ve provided former Qwest CEO Joe Nacchio with tips on maintaining personal hygiene and avoiding snitches and bewildered newbies help in…
Our latest mug shot roundup highlights folks accused or convicted of offenses ranging from the dopey to the deadly serious, plus a couple of highly unusual entries — two people, Tyler Sanchez and Robert Dewey, who were cleared of the allegations against them. Check out the memorable photos below, and…
This weekend, officers with the Denver Police Department were summoned to a residence on South Bryant Street that contained a gruesome secret. A woman at a home there was dead. And the cause appears to have been wholly unnatural…
A short time ago, Wes Specht, a former Alameda High School basketball coach and professional player with the Colorado Kings, where he earned the nickname “Wild Man,” has just been found guilty of several counts related to sex with a student and possession of suggestive images. Which means the jury…
Update: Earlier this month, Colorado State University student Donny Gocha was brutally beaten in an encounter with CSU football players. Now, the Larimer County District Attorney’s Office has formally accused Gocha of the same offense as the ballers who beat him — a decision that clearly makes him unhappy…
Last week, we told you about Connie Liphford, who was found guilty of a 2008 rape based on a DNA hit made years later. But the victim of a home invasion-sexual assault didn’t have to wait nearly as long for police to zero in on a suspect. Derrik Holmes was…
Even under the best of circumstances, the act of robbing a convenience store for the sake of a handful of singles in ready cash has to be one of the dumbest crimes imaginable, just on a simple risk-to-benefit scale. But for absolute desperation, nothing beats jacking a 7-Eleven at three…
Between the two days of Denver’s most recent 4/20 celebration, the Denver Police Department cited or arrested a total of 92 people. And while the event’s organizer, Miguel Lopez, is not on that roster, he was detained on 4/21 and faces investigation for allegedly assaulting an at-risk adult. The bizarre…
At her parole hearing last summer, Jennifer Reali insisted that she’s a different person from the 29-year-old, ninja-clad assassin who ambushed and killed her lover’s wife, Dianne Hood, outside Hood’s lupus support meeting in 1990. The parole board didn’t entirely agree, but there’s no question that the soundtrack to Reali’s…
