ReportWire

Tag: crime and public safety

  • Geneva fire contained after spreading from house fire in Golden Gate Canyon

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    A house fire in western Jefferson County started a small wildfire Thursday morning, causing pre-evacuation warnings for people living in Golden Gate Canyon after flames spread to nearby trees and grass.

    The Geneva fire burned less than an acre after it was first reported in the 10600 block of Ralston Creek Road at 11:35 a.m., according to the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office.

    Jefferson and Gilpin county officials sent out pre-evacuation warnings for a 3-mile radius around the fire and for homes in Golden Gate Estates, Braecher Ranchettes and the surrounding area.

    The fire also briefly caused evacuations for the southern part of Golden Gate Canyon State Park and visitor center, Colorado Parks and Wildlife spokesperson Kara Van Hoose said in an email to The Denver Post.

    Fire crews stopped forward progress on the fire by 12:34 p.m., and county officials lifted pre-evacuations for the surrounding area just after 1 p.m.

    The Geneva fire was fully contained as of Thursday afternoon, according to the wildfire dispatch program WildCAD.

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  • Arrest log

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    The following arrests were made recently by local police departments. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Massachusetts’ privacy law prevents police from releasing information involving domestic and sexual violence arrests with the goal to protect the alleged victims.

    LOWELL

    • Tasha Perry, 39, 65 Summer St., Apt. 162, Lowell; warrant (failure to appear for assault and battery with dangerous weapon).

    • Ibrahim Mbouemboue-Yogno, 35, 218 Wilder St., Apt. 24, Lowell; keeper of disorderly house, disturbing peace, assault and battery on police officer, assault and battery with dangerous weapon (door).

    • Whitney Labossiere, 28, 1005 Westford St., Apt. 4, Lowell; disorderly conduct, trespassing after notice.

    • Kenneth Eng, 21, 27 Hastings St., Lowell; operating motor vehicle after license suspension, making illegal turn from wrong lane.

    • Jeremy McWhinnie, 35, 157 Summer St., Apt. L, Lowell; warrants (failure to appear for assault and battery on police officer, resisting arrest, and disorderly conduct).

    NASHUA, N.H.

    • Kevin Mulligan, 29, 7 1/2 Martin St., Nashua; simple assault.

    • Hayden Lee Wilburn, 32, 44 Amherst St., Nashua; warrant.

    • Ricardo Encarnacion, 31, 290 Ruggles St., Roxbury Crossing; three counts of theft by unauthorized taking ($0-$1,000).

    • Danielle Evans, 32, 39 Palm St., Apt. 2, Nashua; criminal trespassing.

    • Kenneth Gurski, 70, no fixed address; criminal trespassing, nonappearances in court.

    • Edgar McIntosh, 19, 20 Century Road, Nashua; disobeying an officer, speeding (26 mph over limit of 55 mph or less).

    • Rachel Tutein, 30, 16 Cold Spring Road, Westford; stalking (domestic violence).

    • Kimberlee Bryson Cora, 29, 104 Ash St., Nashua; nonappearances in court.

    • David Perez, 37, 18 Mulberry St., Nashua; nonappearance in court.

    • Brian Anthony Desautels, 54, 23 Cushing Ave., Nashua; simple assault.

    • Hector Solano, 54, 25 Amory St., Roxbury; lane control violation, driving motor vehicle after license revoked/suspended, nonappearances in court.

    PELHAM, N.H.

    • Victoria Coyle, 38, Dracut; suspension of vehicle registration.

    • Nicholas Gentile, 39, Chelmsford; suspension of vehicle registration.

    • Sara Beaulieu, 46, Tyngsboro; suspension of vehicle registration.

    • Jean Richard, 28, Lowell; suspension of vehicle registration.

    • Heloisa Moreira Oliveira, 28, Lowell; suspension of vehicle registration.

    • Michael Ingham, 50, Pelham; driving under influence.

    • Brian Arsenault, 39, Tyngsboro; suspension of vehicle registration.

    • Robert Carleton, 23, Pelham; simple assault (domestic violence).

    • Daniel McGillicuddy, 45, Dracut; two counts of violation of protective order.

    • Jessica Conway, 25, Dracut; driving motor vehicle after license revoked/suspended.

    • Luis Lopez, 55, Lowell; suspension of vehicle registration.

    • Tamy Smith, 33, Lowell; suspension of vehicle registration.

    • Frantz Letang, 48, Andover; arrest on another agency’s warrant.

    • Nathan Harrington, 49, Lowell; suspension of vehicle registration.

    • Carmen Ruiz, 25, Hudson, N.H.; suspension of vehicle registration.

    • James Frederick, 51, Hudson, N.H.; operating motor vehicle after certified as habitual offender, driving under influence (subsequent offense), driving motor vehicle after license revoked/suspended for driving under influence.

    WILMINGTON

    • Mohammed Ali Jones, 43, 25 School St., Apt. 2, Everett; operation of motor vehicle with registration suspended or revoked, uninsured motor vehicle, license not in possession.

    • Nolan Patrick Vigeant, 22, 42 Hanover St., Wilmington; operation under influence of alcohol, two counts of leaving scene of property damage, marked lanes violation, speeding.

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    Staff Report

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  • Douglas County wildfire sparked by trash truck, sheriff says

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    A wildfire that raced across more than 1,000 acres of dry, grassy land in Douglas County on Tuesday was started by a trash truck, according to the sheriff’s office.

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    Lauren Penington

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  • 2nd day of dry, windy weather fuels Colorado wildfires in Thornton, Eastern Plains

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    A second day of powerful, gusty winds hit the Front Range and Eastern Plains on Wednesday, fueling at least two wildfires in metro Denver and northeastern Colorado and snarling travel at Denver International Airport.

    More than 100 firefighters from across the metro area responded to a grass fire that sparked at 11:30 a.m. near Pinnacle Charter High School, 8412 Huron St. in Thornton.

    The fire burned across 10 acres of dry, grassy fields and charred vehicles as it produced billows of black smoke visible across the Denver area. Smoke reduced visibility on Interstate 25 to the point that state transportation officials closed the highway in both directions for more than an hour.

    Four firefighters and one other person were injured by the fire, Thornton Fire Chief Stephen Kelley said at a briefing at City Hall. Their injuries did not appear to be life-threatening, but no further information on the nature or severity of the injuries was available, Kelley said.

    Police officers went door to door Wednesday afternoon to evacuate people after the fire started, and city officials sent out evacuation notices through the statewide Integrated Public Alert and Warning System, Kelley said. Pinnacle Charter High School and several nearby businesses also were evacuated.

    Thornton is in the process of switching to a different city emergency alert system and does not have one in place currently, Kelley said.

    City leaders could not say how many homes were evacuated and did not provide a map of affected neighborhoods, although officials confirmed most evacuations occurred northeast of the fire.

    Flames burned for more than two hours before fire crews gained full containment at 2:07 p.m. Thornton officials lifted evacuations at 3:30 p.m. Kelley said firefighters were to remain in the area overnight to put out hot spots and prevent the fire from rekindling. Continued road closures were likely because of firefighting activity, he said.

    No homes were destroyed by the fire, which started on a greenbelt between a residential neighborhood and businesses, Kelley said. The cause of the fire is under investigation and crews are evaluating fire damage to businesses. Although none of the businesses’ buildings appear to be damaged, rows of cars in nearby lots were burned.

    “It is our intent to get ahead of these fires so we don’t have the spread … experienced during the Marshall fire,” Kelley said. “I think we’re very fortunate today that we did not have an outcome similar.”

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  • Former Cherry Creek teacher arrested for child sex assault

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    A former Cherry Creek School District teacher was arrested Monday on suspicion of child sex assault after a former student came forward, police said.

    Robert Combs, 56, was arrested on investigation of five counts of sexual assault on a child by one in a position of trust and three misdemeanor counts of abusing public trust as an educator, according to Arapahoe County court records.

    Combs was a CTE Engineering and Technology Teacher at Grandview High School, 20500 E. Arapahoe Road, between 2002 and late 2025, according to a letter sent to parents and families by the Cherry Creek School District.

    The school district placed Combs on administrative leave in October 2025, when Grandview Principal Lisa Roberts was first made aware of the sexual assault allegations by the Aurora Police Department, police wrote in his arrest affidavit. Combs was officially “separated” from the school district on Nov. 13, according to the letter sent to parents.

    “The safety and security of our students and staff is our highest priority,” school district officials wrote in the letter. “We appreciate your partnership in these critical efforts. We are committed to keeping you informed about all aspects of your child’s education.”

    Aurora officers responded to Grandview High School on Oct. 30, after a former student reached out to Roberts to apologize for lying to her in 2022 and said they were considering reporting Combs, according to the affidavit.

    The student previously denied having an inappropriate relationship with Combs to Roberts in 2022 after a security guard and other teachers came forward with suspicions about the nature of the two’s relationship, the affidavit stated. At that time, the student said Combs was “like a father.”

    Roberts encouraged the student to report Combs and also contacted the Aurora Police Department in October to report the incident on her own, according to the affidavit.

    The unidentified victim first met Combs in August 2021 when the student joined a high school club the man advised, the Technology Student Association, according to Combs’ arrest affidavit.

    Other teachers at Grandview High School also recommended that the student reach out to Combs for assistance with getting into a military academy, police wrote in the affidavit. Combs helped the student with interview preparation, essay writing and physical training.

    In February 2022, Grandview students and staff attended the association’s state conference in Denver, according to the affidavit. Combs allegedly encouraged the then-underage student to come back to his hotel room, where they kissed and he “expressed romantic feelings” for them.

    The victim told Aurora Police they “felt shocked and unsure how to respond,” according to the affidavit.

    Combs’ interactions with the student after the conference “became more frequent and increasingly inappropriate,” police wrote in the arrest affidavit.

    The student would meet Combs after school to work on applications, and those meetings often turned intimate, the student told police. Combs also sent the student inappropriate photos and text messages.

    Combs and the student had sex in classrooms, offices and closets at the high school almost every day between March 2022 and May 2022, according to the arrest affidavit. They would also drive to empty parking lots and have sex in cars.

    The student told police that it felt like they “owed” Combs for his help, the affidavit stated.

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  • 3,500-acre grass fire in eastern Colorado ignited by motor vehicle crash

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    Residents in a small town on Colorado’s Eastern Plains were ordered to evacuate Wednesday afternoon after a grass fire sparked from a vehicle crash nearby, fueled by strong winds and dry vegetation, according to fire officials.

    The fire burned between 3,500 to 4,000 acres and drew responses from departments in eastern Colorado and Nebraska.

    The fire ignited at roughly 1:20 p.m. near the intersection of Colorado 113 and Logan County Road 66, according to a news release from the Logan County Office of Emergency Management. Winds at that time were between 25 and 30 mph with gusts up to 50 mph, driving the fire through rough, dry terrain.

    The fire was 80% contained as of 4:26 p.m., the release stated.

    Evacuation orders were lifted as of 4:33 p.m., according to a Facebook post from the Logan County Office of Emergency Management.

    The first orders were issued just before 2 p.m. Wednesday for the town of Padroni, home to roughly two dozen people in northeast Colorado, according to the Sterling Fire Department. The town is about 11 miles north of Sterling.

    By 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, the evacuation zone had expanded to include parts of Peetz and Iliff, according to the Logan Office of Emergency Management. The zone included residents along Colorado 113 between County Road 62 and County Road 67.5, and in the area south to U.S. 138, according to the office.

    Colorado 113 in Logan County reopened between County Road 56 north of Padroni and County Road 74 in Peetz as of 3:59 p.m., according to the Colorado Department of Transportation. The closure, from milemarker 9 to 16, was caused by fire activity, according to the agency.

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  • Report: Three of six Tahoe avalanche survivors buried in snow before rescue

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    Three of the survivors of last week’s deadly avalanche near Lake Tahoe were buried under the snow before being dug out by their fellow skiers in the moments after the disaster, according to an initial avalanche occurrence report from the Sierra Avalanche Center.

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    Caelyn Pender, Ethan Baron

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  • Douglas County adopts law requiring stores to report theft — but drops fines for failing to do so

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    Douglas County commissioners passed a measure Tuesday that requires hundreds of retail stores in unincorporated parts of the county to file a report with law enforcement when thieves rip them off.

    But unlike an initial version of the law that was made public in December, the county will levy no fines on retailers for failing to do so — instead leaving any decision about punishment to a local court.

    The first version of the law called for fines of $50, and all the way up to $1,000, for businesses that failed to report a crime. That caused some unease in the business community that Douglas County was overreaching.

    Commissioner Abe Laydon said during the business meeting Tuesday that the ordinance was not meant to punish retailers but to keep the community safe.

    “This is the most prosperous county in the state of Colorado — we don’t want us to become a target for organized crime,” he said. “When we tolerate organized retail theft, we normalize lawlessness.”

    The latest rendition of the ordinance increased the time — from 24 hours to 96 hours — that businesses will have to report a theft. It also allows a retailer to report a crime via an online form rather than have police called to the scene.

    That was enough to allay concerns from Chris Howes, the president of the Colorado Retail Council. In an attempt to make the measure more palatable to local businesses, he said his organization had some “fruitful discussions” with the county after the law was first unveiled.

    “We don’t feel it punishes retail,” he said. “The focus on retail crime is overall going to be a benefit to us.”

    District Attorney George Brauchler said he wants to get the message across that “we do not tolerate thieves.”

    “If you come here to steal from us, plan on staying,” he said in a statement Tuesday. “Business owners and citizens alike should know that we will continue to protect their property rights.”

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  • Man arrested for murder in fatal Denver Valentine’s Day shooting

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    A man accused of shooting and killing another man in Denver on Valentine’s Day and fleeing Colorado was arrested Friday in Kansas on suspicion of murder, police said.

    As of Tuesday afternoon, 20-year-old Yeanbraiker Yriarte-Valera was being held at the Wyandotte County Detention Center in Kansas on a Denver homicide warrant, according to jail records. He was booked into the jail on Friday.

    Yriarte-Valera is under investigation for first-degree murder, four counts of attempted first-degree murder, four counts of first-degree assault and a violent crime sentence enhancer, according to Denver court records.

    Denver police responded to the shooting in the 1500 block of West Maple Avenue at about 5:15 a.m. on Feb. 14. When officers arrived, they found a woman who had been shot in the ankle and a man who died from his injuries at the scene.

    Paramedics took the woman to the hospital, police said. The Denver Office of the Medical Examiner will identify the man killed in the shooting.

    Investigators believe a fight started at a party in the area that escalated into the shooting, according to a news release from the Denver Police Department. At least two people fired off shots, hitting the two victims, but the second suspect had not been publicly identified as of Tuesday.

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  • Douglas County wildfire chars more than 1,000 acres south of Franktown

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    A wildfire scorched more than 1,000 acres of dry, grassy terrain south of Franktown on Tuesday, forcing evacuations as gusty winds pushed flames toward nearby homes.

    The Dahlberg fire was first reported near Dahlberg and Lake Gulch roads at 12:39 p.m., Douglas County sheriff’s officials said. The area is roughly 8 miles south of Franktown and 8 miles east of Larkspur.

    Tinder-dry fuels, drought and winds up to 20 mph allowed the fire to grow quickly, county Emergency Management Director Mike Alexander said at a briefing.

    Douglas County sheriff’s deputies began evacuating nearby homes immediately, Patrol Division Chief Joel White said. Deputies contacted 20 homes threatened by the fire, and 17 of those evacuated, he said.

    The nearby Cherry Valley Elementary School was ordered to hold students in place and released them from school early so parents and guardians could pick up their children, White said. The school was fully evacuated as of 4 p.m.

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  • OSHA fines 3 companies $247,000 after 6 die of gas exposure at dairy farm near Keenesburg

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    The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced Tuesday that it had cited and fined three Weld County companies a combined $247,000 after it determined six people died following a hazardous gas exposure at a Weld County dairy farm in August.

    Prospect Ranch LLC, which operates Prospect Valley Dairy east of Keenesburg, faces $132,406 in penalties after OSHA cited the company for failure to protect workers from atmospheric hazards, failure to communicate the hazards in writing and failure to train workers on how to detect hazardous gases, according to a U.S. Department of Labor news release.

    Fiske faces $99,306 in fines and HD Builders faces $14,897 in penalties for failure to protect employees from atmospheric hazards and failure to provide hydrogen sulfide detection training. HD Builders employees were present during the incident, but were not harmed.

    Fiske, based in Johnstown, is a construction and consulting company that provides equipment for dairy farms and other industrial services. HD Builders, based in Windsor, is owned by Agrifab Colorado, according to county records, and is a construction company specializing in agricultural equipment and structures.

    OSHA’s investigation into the Aug. 20 incident found that a pipe in Prospect Valley Dairy’s manure management system had disconnected and released manure water and hydrogen sulfide gas, according to the news release. Contractors from Fiske and HD Builders had been hired to work on the system.

    Hydrogen sulfide occurs naturally in crude petroleum and natural gas, but is also produced from decomposing manure, according to OSHA. In low doses, it is mildly irritating to eyes and lungs, but in high doses in a confined area it can quickly become deadly.

    A Fiske employee and a Prospect Ranch employee attempted to stop the flow of the gas but died due to the exposure, according to the investigation. Three more Fiske employees and one Prospect Ranch employee entered the pump room where the gas was leaking and also died.

    Weld County Chief Deputy Coroner Jolene Weiner confirmed the identities of the six victims as Oscar Espinoza Leos, 17, Carlos Espinoza Prado, 29, Noé Montanez Casanas, 32, Jorge Sanchez Pena, 36, Ricardo Gomez Galvan, 40, and Alejandro Espinoza Cruz, 50. In October, the coroner confirmed that the men died due to exposure to hydrogen sulfide gas. 

    Four of the people who died were part of the same extended family, including father Espinoza Cruz and his sons Oscar Espinoza Leos and Espinoza Prado. They were related to Sanchez Pena by marriage, who lived in the employer-provided housing. The family worked in machinery repair for multiple dairy farms in the area.

    The companies have 15 business days after receiving their citations to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA or contest the findings, officials said.

    County records show the dairy farm is owned by Prospect Valley Dairy and Colorado business registrations show a Bakersfield, California, address for the owners of Prospect Ranch.

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  • Nancy Guthrie kidnapping suspect appeared to have made a previous visit

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    The man suspected of kidnapping Nancy Guthrie on Feb. 1 appears to have made a prior visit to the missing woman’s southern Arizona home.

    Investigators released photos and video retrieved from a damaged doorbell camera on Feb. 10 showing an armed man wearing a backpack, ski mask and gloves in the early morning hours before the 84-year-old mother of NBC News host Samantha Guthrie disappeared.

    ABC News reported Monday that a separate image of the person they believe to be a suspect showed him outside Guthrie’s home at some point before her apparent abduction. He is not carrying a backpack in that photo.

    Authorities released images of a masked man in the Nancy Guthrie case. (FBI)

    The suspect might’ve been surprised to see Guthrie’s doorbell camera during his first visit and changed his mind, ABC sources speculated. During his return trip, the subject tried to obscure the camera with foliage.

    Authorities have announced few breaks in the case that’s remained a mystery for more than three weeks. A $200,000 reward is being offered for information that leads to finding Guthrie or her kidnapper.

    Investigators have asked Guthrie’s neighbors to review their home security systems dating back to Jan. 1 for possible clues.

    In an aerial view, road crews set up signs and barricades in front of Nancy Guthrie's residence to turn the two-lane road into a one-lane road on February 21, 2026, in Tucson, Arizona. The road was turned into a one-way due to heavy traffic in the area. Law enforcement officials continue to search for Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of U.S. journalist and television host Savannah Guthrie, after she went missing from her home on the morning of February 1st. An anonymous donor contributed $100,000 to the total reward offered in the Nancy Guthrie case, bringing it to over $200,000. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
    In an aerial view, road crews set up signs and barricades in front of Nancy Guthrie’s residence to turn the two-lane road into a one-lane road on February 21, 2026, in Tucson, Arizona. The road was turned into a one-way due to heavy traffic in the area. Law enforcement officials continue to search for Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of U.S. journalist and television host Savannah Guthrie, after she went missing from her home on the morning of February 1st. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

     

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    Brian Niemietz

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  • Family of Black man killed by Aurora police intends to sue the city

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    The family of Rajon Belt-Stubblefield served notice Monday to the city of Aurora that they intend to file a lawsuit in connection with the August shooting death of the unarmed Black man.

    Belt-Stubblefield was 37 when he was shot and killed by an Aurora police officer during an Aug. 30 traffic stop, and his then 18-year-old son witnessed the shooting. A notice of claim — a legal step necessary before suing the city — was filed on behalf of Belt-Stubblefield’s family and a second notice was filed on behalf of his son, Zion Murphy.

    The family, along with their lawyer Milo Schwab, held a news conference to announce the filing and then attended the Aurora City Council meeting where they spoke about a lack of transparency surrounding the shooting and a need for accountability for officer Matthew Neely, who fired the fatal shots. Neely’s name had not been released by the police department.

    “No child should ever have to witness that,” said Erica Murphy, Zion Murphy’s mother. “No child should have to carry the trauma for the rest of their life. Rajon was more than a headline. He was more than a police report. He was a father. He was loved. He mattered.”

    On the night of the shooting, Neely tried to pull over Belt-Stubblefield for speeding and a possible DUI near East Sixth Avenue and Sable Boulevard. Zion Murphy was driving behind his father in another car.

    AURORA, CO – FEBRUARY 23: Family and attorneys of Rajon Belt-Stubblefield hold a press conference at the Aurora Municipal Center to announce legal action concerning Belt-Stubblefield who was fatally shot by Aurora police last August on February 23, 2026 in Aurora, Colorado. After the press conference, the crowd gather inside the Aurora City Council chambers to address the mayor and council members. (Photo By Kathryn Scott/Special to The Denver Post)

    Belt-Stubblefield fled and then rear-ended one car before crossing a median and hitting a second vehicle. He was armed but tossed a handgun into the grass before walking toward the officer, Aurora police Chief Todd Chamberlain said at the time.

    Belt-Stubblefield ignored orders to stop and raised his hands, and Neely punched him in an attempt to de-escalate the situation, according to Chamberlain’s account in the days after the shooting. Belt-Stubblefield raised his fist and repeatedly asked if the officer was “ready for this,” Chamberlain said.

    The officer shot Belt-Stubblefield as he continued to move toward him, backing Neely into the street, Chamberlain said.

    Belt-Stubblefield died at the scene.

    But the notices of claim filed by Schwab offer a different perspective on what happened.

    Neely pointed his weapon at Belt-Stubblefield as soon as he exited his wrecked car, and Belt-Stubblefield asked the officer not to shoot him as he tossed his gun into the grass. Neely tried to grab Belt-Stubblefield by the neck and take him to the ground, but the officer is the one who fell, according to the notice of claim. Belt-Stubblefield did not take aggressive action and tried to walk away.

    Neely then followed Belt-Stubblefield, shoved him in the back and then as Belt-Stubblefield turned to speak to his son Neely “suckerpunched Mr. Belt-Stubblefield in the back of the head, causing Mr. Belt-Stubblefield to put his fists up to protect his head,” the notice of claim stated.

    Neely backed into the street with his gun and fired three times. The first two shots struck Belt-Stubblefield in the chest, and he stopped and looked at Neely. Neely then fired the third shot into Belton-Stubblefield’s head, killing him at the scene, the notice of claim said.

    Schwab said the city has not communicated with the family in the six months since the shooting, and the officer has not been disciplined for his actions.

    “We’ve given it six months,” he said. “We’re done waiting.”

    The shooting drew national attention, leading prominent civil rights attorney Ben Crump to visit with Belt-Stubblefield’s widow and to condemn the fatal shooting.

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  • Torrance man gets 4 years in prison for defrauding his own congressional election campaign

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    LOS ANGELES — A Torrance man who unsuccessfully ran against Rep. Maxine Waters four times was sentenced Monday to four years in federal prison for his role in a scheme to siphon $250,000 in campaign cash for his own use.

    Omar Navarro, 37, pleaded guilty in June 2025 to a single federal wire fraud count for defrauding his election campaign.

    After he was sentenced, U.S. District Judge Mark C. Scarsi ordered Navarro immediately remanded into custody. A restitution hearing will be scheduled later.

    “As a candidate for Congress, defendant knew and understood that campaign funds raised by him and others for his campaign were restricted to supporting his election efforts and could not be used for the candidate’s … own personal use or enjoyment,” according to his plea agreement.

    Despite this, Navarro conspired with his mother, Dora Asghari, and a friend to convert campaign funds for their personal use.

    Asghari, 61, of Torrance, pleaded guilty in Los Angeles federal court to a charge of lying to FBI investigators during an interview. Her sentencing hearing is scheduled for April 13.

    Attorneys for Navarro and his mother could not immediately be reached for comment.

    Navarro unsuccessfully ran in 2016, 2018, 2020 and 2022 against Waters, D-Los Angeles.

    An indictment made public in September 2023 outlines a scheme in which Navarro made payments from his campaign to various individuals — including his mother and friend Zacharias Diamantides-Abel, 37, of Long Beach — and then directed the transfer of cash back to himself for personal use.

    Navarro used $100,000 to pay for personal expenses, including trips to Las Vegas and the Northern California wine country, as well as payment of two criminal defense attorneys who helped him when he pleaded guilty to felony stalking in 2020.

    According to the indictment, Navarro later falsely reported these expenditures as campaign expenses to the Federal Election Commission.

    Federal prosecutors said Asghari and Diamantides-Abel concealed Navarro’s misdirection of campaign funds by frequently cashing the checks rather than depositing them into their personal bank accounts. If they deposited the check, they often withdrew the funds shortly thereafter to share with Navarro, the indictment states.

    In total, from December 2017 to June 2020, Diamantides-Abel and Asghari received $49,260 and $58,625, respectively, from Navarro’s campaign, according to checks he wrote or caused to be written to them. According to the indictment, Asghari also created a shell company to facilitate her receipt of these campaign payments and transfers back to Navarro and his own shell company.

    From January 2018 through July 1, 2020, Navarro deposited over $100,000 in cash into his personal accounts, even though he had no other source of income aside from the campaign funds, and he frequently made deposits after Diamantides-Abe or Asghari cashed campaign checks, court papers show.

    Navarro formed a sham charity called the United Latino Foundation as another way to embezzle funds from his campaign for his personal use, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

    Diamantides-Abel pleaded guilty in May 2025 to a conspiracy charge and was placed in a diversion program.

    The 45-page indictment charged Navarro with 13 counts of wire fraud, 26 counts of falsification of records and three counts of prohibited use of campaign funds. Asghari was charged with six counts of wire fraud. Diamantides-Abel was charged with two counts of wire fraud. All three defendants were charged with one count of conspiracy.

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    City News Service

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  • Colorado park ranger gets 3 years probation in Staunton State Park stabbing hoax

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    The Colorado park ranger accused of stabbing himself in a hoax that sparked a large-scale manhunt at Staunton State Park last August took a plea deal Monday.

    Callum Heskett pleaded guilty to attempting to influence a public servant, a felony, and false reporting of an emergency, a misdemeanor, according to a news release from the First Judicial District Attorney’s Office.

    The plea deal dropped additional charges of attempting to influence a public servant, tampering with evidence, reckless endangerment, obstructing government operations and official misconduct from his case, according to Jefferson County court records.

    Heskett was sentenced to three years of supervised probation and ordered to pay more than $16,000 in restitution, according to the district attorney’s office. That amount, which may be updated in the coming days, accounts for the costs incurred by all the agencies that responded to his fake distress call.

    The former park ranger’s misdemeanor conviction is permanent, but he was granted a deferred sentence on his felony charge, court records show. If Heskett fulfills the terms of his probation, that charge will be removed from his record.

    However, if Heskett violates the probation agreement, he will be sentenced to the Colorado Department of Corrections for a period of between two and six years.

    The investigating officers’ main concern when considering a plea deal was ensuring that Heskett would not be allowed to work as law enforcement again, Deputy District Attorney Michael Rex said during the Monday morning hearing, according to the news release.

    The stabbing hoax convictions will revoke Heskett’s POST certification and bar any future recertification, according to the district attorney’s office.

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  • Adams County jury convicts man of murder in Aurora apartment shooting

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    A man who shot two women in an Aurora apartment in 2024, killing one of them, was convicted this month of murder, according to court records.

    Kelynn Lewis, 34, was arrested and charged in February 2024 with first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, witness tampering and four counts of child abuse in Adams County District Court.

    On Feb. 13, after a five-day trial, an Adams County jury convicted Lewis on lesser charges of second-degree murder and attempted second-degree murder, court records show.

    Lewis was also convicted on all four counts of child abuse and of tampering with a witness, according to a copy of the jury verdict sheet.

    Aurora police officers responded to reports of a shooting inside an apartment in the 1700 block of Paris Street, near the University of Colorado Hospital, at about 8:20 p.m. on Feb. 9, 2024.

    The person who called 911 told dispatchers that a woman, identified by police as 35-year-old Vatrice Lashae Little, had been shot in the face by a man, according to Lewis’ arrest affidavit. Little was taken to the hospital, where she was declared dead.

    Little was inside her cousin’s apartment on Paris Street when Lewis, the cousin’s ex-husband, entered with a gun, police wrote in the affidavit.

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    Lauren Penington

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  • Mexican army kills leader of powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel during operation to capture him

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    MEXICO CITY — The Mexican army killed the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, “El Mencho,” on Sunday, decapitating what had become Mexico’s most powerful cartel and giving the government its biggest prize yet to show the Trump administration its efforts.

    Oseguera Cervantes was wounded in an operation to capture him Sunday in Tapalpa, Jalisco about a two-hour drive southwest of Guadalajara and he died while being flown to Mexico City, the Defense Department said in a statement. The state is the base of the cartel known for trafficking huge quantities of fentanyl and other drugs to the United States.

    During the operation, troops came under fire and killed four people at the location. Three more people, including Oseguera Cervantes, were wounded and later died, the statement said. Two others were arrested and armored vehicles, rocket launchers and other arms were seized. Three members of the armed forces were wounded and receiving medical treatment.

    The U.S. Embassy in Mexico said on X that the operation was carried out by Mexican special forces “within the framework of bilateral cooperation, with U.S. authorities providing complementary intelligence.”

    Roadblocks and burning vehicles

    The killing of the powerful drug lord set off several hours of roadblocks with burning vehicles in Jalisco and other states. Such tactics are commonly used by the cartels to block military operations. Jalisco canceled school in the state for Monday.

    Videos circulating on social media showed plumes of smoke billowing over the tourist city of Puerto Vallarta in Jalisco, and people sprinting through the airport of the state’s capital in panic. On Sunday afternoon, Air Canada announced it was suspending flights to Puerto Vallarta “due to an ongoing security situation” and advised customers not to go to their airport.

    In Guadalajara, the state capital, burning vehicles blocked roads. Mexico’s second-largest city is scheduled to host matches during this summer’s soccer World Cup.

    The U.S. State Department warned U.S. citizens in Jalisco, Tamaulipas, Michoacan, Guerrero and Nuevo Leon states to remain in safe places due to the ongoing security operations. Canada’s embassy in Mexico warned its citizens in Puerto Vallarta to shelter in place and generally to keep a low profile in Jalisco.

    Jalisco Gov. Pablo Lemus told residents to stay at home and suspended public transportation.

    US had offered up to $15 million for his capture

    The U.S. State Department had offered a reward of up to $15 million for information leading to the arrest of El Mencho. The Jalisco New Generation Cartel, known as CJNG, is one of the most powerful and fastest growing criminal organizations in Mexico and was born in 2009.

    In February, the Trump administration designated the cartel as a foreign terrorist organization.

    Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, like her predecessor, has criticized the “kingpin” strategy of previous administrations that took out cartel leaders only to trigger explosions of violence as cartels fractured. While she has remained popular in Mexico, security is a persistent concern and since U.S. President Donald Trump took office a year ago, she has been under tremendous pressure to show results against drug trafficking.

    On Sunday, Sheinbaum applauded Mexican security forces and called for calm in a post on X.

    A Jalisco state official who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly said that a member of the National Guard died in Tapalpa during the operation, a jail guard was killed at a lockup in Puerto Vallarta when prisoners rioted, and an agent from the Jalisco state prosecutor’s office was killed in Guadalajara. Details were not immediately available.

    Known as an aggressive cartel

    The Jalisco cartel has been one of the most aggressive cartels in its attacks on the military — including on helicopters — and is a pioneer in launching explosives from drones and installing mines. In 2020, it carried out a spectacular assassination attempt with grenades and high-powered rifles in the heart of Mexico City against the then head of the capital’s police force and now federal security secretary.

    The DEA considers the cartel to be as powerful as the Sinaloa cartel, one of Mexico’s most infamous criminal groups, with a presence in all 50 U.S. states. It is one of the main suppliers of cocaine to the U.S. market and, like the Sinaloa cartel, earns billions from the production of fentanyl and methamphetamines. Sinaloa, however, has been weakened by infighting after the loss of its leaders Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada and Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, both in U.S. custody.

    Oseguera Cervantes, 59, was originally from Aguililla in the neighboring state of Michoacan. He had been significantly involved in drug trafficking activities since the 1990s. When he was younger, he migrated to the U.S. where he was convicted of conspiracy to distribute heroin in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California in 1994 and served nearly three years in prison.

    Following his release from custody, Oseguera Cervantes returned to Mexico and reengaged in drug trafficking activity with drug lord Ignacio Coronel Villarreal, alias “Nacho Coronel.” After Villarreal’s death, Oseguera Cervantes and Erik Valencia Salazar, alias “El 85,” created the Jalisco New Generation Cartel around 2007.

    Initially, they worked for the Sinaloa Cartel, but eventually split and for years the two cartels have battled for territory across Mexico.

    Indicted several times in the United States

    Since 2017, Oseguera Cervantes has been indicted several times in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia.

    The most recent superseding indictment, filed on April 5, 2022, charges Oseguera Cervantes with conspiracy and distribution of controlled substances (methamphetamine, cocaine, and fentanyl) for the purpose of illegal importation into the United States and use of firearms during and in connection with drug trafficking offenses. Oseguera Cervantes is also charged under the Drug Kingpin Enforcement Act for directing a continuing criminal enterprise.

    Last year, people searching for missing relatives founds piles of shoes and other clothing, as well as bone fragments at what authorities later said was a Jalisco cartel recruitment and training site.

    Associated Press writer María Verza contributed to this report.

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    Fabiola Sanchez

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  • Tren de Aragua members get 20 years prison for robbing Denver jewelry store

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    Two members of the Venezuelan prison gang Tren de Aragua who pleaded guilty to robbing a Denver jewelry store at gunpoint were sentenced to 20 years in federal prison, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado said.

    Jean Torres-Ramon, 22, and Newman Castillo Delgado, 23, pleaded guilty to robbery and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, federal officials said Thursday.

    Torres-Ramon and Delgado are two of at least seven suspects facing charges in the June 2024 robbery of Joyeria El Ruby jewelry store at 5108 W. 38th Ave. in Denver’s West Highland neighborhood.

    The group is accused of entering the store, aiming guns at employees, beating employees with weapons and stealing nearly $4 million in gold and jewelry, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said in a news release.

    An indictment in a different federal case alleges the robbery was approved by Tren de Aragua leaders to enrich the gang.

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  • Phan brothers seek chance at release amid fallout from State Police investigator’s fatal crash

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    LOWELL — The Phan brothers charged in the 2020 killing of Tyrone Phet are asking a Middlesex Superior Court judge to reconsider the bail orders that have kept them behind bars for nearly five and a half years, arguing that new allegations of misconduct by a State Police homicide detective have thrown the case off course.

    In a motion filed on Feb. 13, attorney Mark Wester — representing Billy Phan — argues that the recent disclosure that State Police Sgt. Scott Quigley’s alleged intoxication and speeding in a 2023 fatal crash qualifies as the kind of “changed circumstances” that Massachusetts law requires for bail reconsideration, writing that the revelations have “delayed the just resolution of this case.”

    In the motion, Wester asks Judge Chris Barry‑Smith to reconsider holding Phan without bail and “grant him a reasonable cash bail.”

    Attorneys Lorenzo Perez and William Dolan filed similar motions on behalf of Channa Phan and Billoeum Phan.

    The three brothers, all in their 30s, each face life in prison without the possibility of parole after being charged with first‑degree murder in the shooting of 22‑year‑old Phet outside his home at 50 Spring Ave. in Lowell during the early‑morning hours of Sept. 14, 2020.

    Phet — a 2016 Chelmsford High graduate and former high school football standout — was struck by gunfire eight times, with one bullet passing through both lungs and his heart and another entering and exiting his brain.

    Police recovered 21 spent shell casings at the scene, including ten 10mm casings and eleven .40‑caliber casings.

    The Phan brothers have been held without bail since their arrests in October 2020.

    Dolan said earlier this month that while defendants in first‑degree murder cases are typically held without bail, the circumstances surrounding Quigley’s alleged misconduct justify reconsideration.

    Quigley — a key investigator in the Phan case — is accused of being under the influence of alcohol and speeding while on duty in a State Police cruiser when he crossed into oncoming traffic and caused the December 2023 Woburn crash that killed 37‑year‑old Angelo Schettino, a paraplegic man with special needs.

    Dolan also pointed to the outcome of the brothers’ first trial in November 2024, which ended in a hung jury and a mistrial, forcing the case into a second trial cycle.

    “Because (the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office) didn’t meet their burden in their first trial and because of all the other things going on, they shouldn’t have to wait in jail,” Dolan said of the Phan brothers.

    The defense had asked that the bail review be taken up alongside an evidentiary hearing they are seeking into the handling of Quigley’s 2023 crash.

    The defense has argued that the evidentiary hearing is necessary because they believe the State Police and the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office covered up information about Quigley after the crash.

    Quigley, who was assigned as a homicide investigator to the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office and played a central role in the Phan investigation, has since been suspended without pay. His crash has been referred to the Suffolk District Attorney’s Office for possible criminal charges. Schettino’s mother, Lynn Schettino, is also pursuing a civil‑rights lawsuit against the State Police over her son’s death.

    Michael Mahoney, who represents Schettino’s mother in the civil‑rights case, said of Quigley, “It keeps coming for this guy.”

    In the motion requesting the evidentiary hearing, the Phan brothers’ defense team states testimony from Quigley and another 18 members of law enforcement is needed to determine whether there was an effort to shield him from scrutiny and to establish why his toxicology results were not disclosed to the Phan defense until jury selection in January.

    Prosecutors were originally ordered to respond to the evidentiary‑hearing motion by Friday, but the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office requested — and was granted — an extension until Monday.

    Dolan said on Friday that he and his client were frustrated to learn the extension had been granted to the DA’s office, calling it “just more of the same dragging their feet.”

    The requests for the bail and evidentiary hearings come as the brothers’ retrial remains frozen, with Barry‑Smith halting jury selection late last month and dismissing the 12 jurors who had already been seated.

    The judge paused the proceedings after the disclosures about Quigley surfaced during jury selection, prompting the court to order a full review before the case could continue.

    Defense attorneys have also moved to dismiss the charges against the Phan brothers entirely, stating the delayed disclosures and questions surrounding Quigley’s conduct have irreparably tainted the prosecution.

    In the meantime, a new retrial date is currently scheduled to begin on April 27.

    The Middlesex District Attorney’s Office was unavailable for comment on the status of its response to the evidentiary‑hearing motion.

    Follow Aaron Curtis on X @aselahcurtis, or on Bluesky @aaronscurtis.bsky.social.

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    Aaron Curtis

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  • Unsolved murder of Colorado teen Maggie Long still being investigated, officials say

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    Colorado Bureau of Investigation officials this week said they are still actively investigating the murder of 17-year-old Maggie Long, contrary to “unauthorized flyers being circulated… containing false information” about the case.

    Maggie was found dead in the charred remains of her family’s home in Bailey in December 2017, and law enforcement later confirmed she had been burned alive and her death was a homicide.

    While law enforcement has released composite sketches of several suspects, no one has been arrested in the case.

    Courtesy Park County Sheriff via Denver7

    Authorities said at a Monday news conference that they believe Bailey teenager Maggie Long was burned alive inside her family’s home in December 2017 and that there are three suspects in her murder who remain outstanding.

    State officials released a statement on Friday addressing misinformation being circulated about the case, centered on a website for the investigation task force being deactivated.

    “The CBI wishes to state unequivocally that the Maggie Long Task Force remains active and is aggressively pursuing justice,” agency officials said.

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