Sergeant Jon Holsten of the Fort Collins Police Department says "drugs were at least one of the targets" of the crime. So why was the prospect of that drug being medical marijuana included in releases on view below? Because, Holsten says, members of the media asked about it.
"The reason I even mentioned medical marijuana is because I had questions from other reporters about it," he says.
At this point, Holsten notes, there's been no confirmation that medical marijuana was at the center of the robbery: "The detectives are actively working the case, speaking to the victims, speaking to the suspects, and just all the way around trying to determine if, in fact, medical marijuana or the claim of medical marijuana is involved."
Claim? According to Holsten, "one of the things we see in some of these cases is that individuals who are involved in incidents may claim they have medical marijuana, or they have the right to have it -- and in this case, I'm honestly not sure what they're saying when it comes to that. Those are questions the detectives are asking right now."
Regarding the number of medical marijuana incidents in Fort Collins these days, Holsten doesn't have specific numbers -- "but from an informal perspective, we have seen an increase in marijuana-related crimes in recent months. And that's not just in Fort Collins. That seems to be a trend across the state." See yesterday's report about arrests in Brighton for links to numerous examples.
As this event confirms, medical marijuana is now commonly assumed to be the driving force behind lots of bad actors out there. What's unknown at this point is how often that's true, and how often it's a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Here's the aforementioned releases from the FCPD, complete with the names of busted quartet:
Fort Collins Police Investigate Home Invasion RobberyOn January 17, 2010 at 9:53 p.m., Fort Collins police responded to reported home invasion robbery in the 600 block of Powderhorn Drive. Three adult male residents of the home reported being held at gunpoint by two men who ultimately bound them with duct tape and removed numerous items from the home. No shots were fired; however, one of the victims sustained a minor injury (not requiring medical attention) when he was physically assaulted during the incident.
Officers have identified four possible suspects in the case, to include three adult males and one adult female. Those individuals have been contacted and are currently being questioned by detectives. The Larimer County Sheriff's Office is also assisting with the investigation.
Further information will be released as it becomes available. Anyone with information about the robbery is asked to contact Detective Rex Steele at 970.416.2180.
Update one:
Three arrests have been made, thus far, in last night's home invasion robbery. The subjects are identified as:
Juan Gabbriel Anfonso DOB/060975 Hometown: Fort Collins, CO Charges: Aggravated Robbery and First Degree Burglary
Luis Cruz Lucero DOB/030889 Hometown: Fort Collins, CO Charges: Aggravated Robbery and First Degree Burglary
Jesus Jose Rodriguez DOB/121991 Hometown: LaPorte, CO Charges: Aggravated Robbery and First Degree Burglary
Booking photos of the arrested individuals are not being released at this time pending use in photo lineups.
A fourth suspect -- a female -- is currently being interviewed by detectives regarding her alleged involvement in the robbery.
Update two:
A fourth subject has been arrested in connection with the overnight home invasion robbery in Fort Collins:
Laci Ann Anfonso DOB/102288 Hometown: Fort Collins Charges: Aggravated Robbery and First Degree Burglary
At this time, investigators believe drugs are at least one motive for the robbery. Obviously, there have been some questions as to what role, if any, medical marijuana played into the robbery. That is one question detectives are looking into. It can't be confirmed or ruled out at this point.
No further updates are expected today.
