A 36-year-old man forced a woman into an SUV outside a hotel and fatally shot her as they argued, according to an arrest affidavit from the Westminster Police Department.
Jesse Aaron Gladney is charged with first-degree murder in the domestic violence shooting death of 36-year-old Valarie Garcia on Saturday.
A witness called 911 at 8:07 p.m. after seeing a man grab a woman by the neck and tell her to get into a Chevy Equinox at the Super 8 at 12055 N. Melody Dr., according to Gladney’s arrest affidavit. The witness also told police there was another person in the front seat.
Ten minutes later, a witness reported a man shot a woman and she was unconscious near 120th Avenue and Colorado Boulevard in Thornton. Police later found the woman, Garcia, at Platte Valley Hospital in Brighton.
The woman driving the Equinox during the shooting later contacted police and told them Gladney had asked her to pick him up from a hotel in Brighton and told her to keep driving. When they reached the Super 8, he went inside and came out with Garcia.
Garcia and Gladney were arguing and he was pushing her against the car, the woman told police. The argument continued as they got in the car, until Gladney told Garcia to “Shut up or I’ll shoot you.”
A few moments later, the woman reported hearing and smelling a gunshot while she was driving. Gladney told her he shot Garcia and started slapping Garcia and telling her not to fall asleep, according to the affidavit.
Gladney kept getting out of the Equinox at stoplights to ask for help and when they got to the hospital, he started yelling at hospital staff to not let Garcia die, according to the affidavit. He then punched the windshield of a nearby car and later had to be sedated by hospital staff so they could treat his hand.
Garcia died at the hospital later Saturday night, according to the arrest affidavit.
Gladney declined to speak to detectives and the affidavit does not detail how he knew Garcia, though Garcia’s family told CBS Colorado he was her boyfriend. Investigators found a Kahr Arms PM40 pistol in the Equinox as well as a bullet in the rear passenger seat.
Gladney is in custody at the Adams County Detention Facility on a $2 million cash-only bail and is set to appear in court Sept. 30.
Five people rescued from a burning apartment building in Denver’s Five Points neighborhood were sent to the hospital Saturday morning.
Fire crews responded to reports of smoke coming from an apartment building near East 22nd Avenue and North Clarkson Street, the Denver Fire Department said in an 8 a.m. statement on social media.
Denver firefighters rescued people from the upper floors of the building using ladder trucks and quickly extinguished the blaze, the fire department stated.
Paramedics transported five people to hospitals after the fire, but their condition is unknown, the fire department said in an 8:24 a.m. update.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
A man in his 20s was underwater and had not resurfaced for more than nine minutes, according to the department.
Divers found the man around 5:34 p.m., according to officials, and first responders performed CPR. The man was taken to a local hospital in critical condition, according to a 5:41 p.m. update on X.
James Cooke was driving a 1999 Ford F-150 on East Smoky Hill Road around 4 p.m. Monday when he drove off the road near South Riviera Way and crashed into a tree, according to a Wednesday news release from the Aurora Police Department.
A 46-year-old woman was ejected during the crash and taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries. She died early Wednesday morning, Aurora police said.
Denver International Airport is gearing up for a record number of Memorial Day weekend passengers, meaning travelers can expect a busy trip and long waits, airport officials said Tuesday.
Between Thursday and Tuesday, airport officials expect nearly 450,000 passengers to pass through Transportation Security Administration checkpoints, according to a news release from DIA. This is a 9% increase from the same holiday travel period last year.
Thursday and Friday alone will each see more than 80,000 travelers moving through TSA screening areas, with additional foot traffic coming in from flight connections inside the airport, DIA officials said.
Airport officials said holiday travelers should arrive inside the airport at least two hours before their scheduled boarding time and should have plans for parking and making it through security checkpoints.
Those committed to parking on-site should avoid the Pike Peaks lot due to construction and park at the Landslide parking lot — 6975 Valley Head Street.
The Pikes Peak and Longs Peak shuttle parking lots will close on Friday at 3 a.m. and re-open by 5 p.m., according to Tuesday’s release. The Landslide lot will be open for overflow parking at 3 a.m. Friday and will remain open until full.
Regular shuttle service will be available from all parking lots to and from the airport terminal.
TSA Security Checkpoints
DIA’s South Security Checkpoint — located on level five at the south end of the terminal — is open from 3 a.m. to 1 a.m. the next morning and is the primary checkpoint for travelers who need standard screening.
South Security has four TSA PreCheck lanes open from 4 a.m. to 7:45 p.m., but PreCheck passengers traveling after 8 p.m. may use South Security and receive a form of expedited screening, officials said Tuesday.
One CLEAR lane is available for standard screening at the South Security Checkpoint, but passengers with both PreCheck and CLEAR must use the dual-service lane at West Security.
The West Security Checkpoint — located on level six at the northwest corner of the terminal — is open from 4 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. and is the primary checkpoint for TSA PreCheck travelers.
Passengers with standard screening at this checkpoint should enter through West Security 1, and passengers with reservations for DEN RESERVE should enter at West Security 2.
Finally, A-Bridge Security is open for standard screening between 4:30 a.m. and 5:45 p.m., officials said Tuesday.
The bridge has a limited number of lanes dedicated for travelers requiring standard screening and is not available for TSA PreCheck.
Real-time security wait times and parking availability can be found online at FlyDenver.com.
The body of a 3-year-old boy with special needs who was reported missing Saturday morning from Rocky Ford was found in a canal, according to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation.
Officials searched the Catlin irrigation canal, which runs directly behind the child’s home, on foot. Amari’s body was found in the canal several miles downstream from his home around 5 p.m. Sunday, according to an update.
LAKEWOOD — Lochlan Walker was still winded and hunched over from his 100-meter dash when his mom, Paige, mobbed him with the news of his personal record time of 12.48 seconds.
They smiled simultaneously and shared a moment they won’t soon forget as Walker, a Fairview High School senior, notched the fastest time for a Special Olympic/Paralympic athlete on Thursday afternoon at the 2024 CHSAA state track and field meet at Jeffco Stadium.
About an hour later, Walker also recorded the best Special Olympic/Paralympic time in the 200 meters, at 25.92. Those marks made him the fastest disabled athlete in the state, but more importantly, offered proof that his differences don’t matter out on the track.
Fairview’s Lochlan Walker wins his heat during the Geoffrey Zaragoza Paralympic and Special Olympic 100m dash at the 2024 Track & Field State Championships at Jeffco Stadium in Lakewood, Colorado on May 16, 2024. (Photo by RJ Sangosti/The Denver Post)
“The Fairview team has been so accepting of Lochlan. It’s been a whole lot of ‘you can do this’ since his sophomore year,” an emotional Paige Walker said. “There has been no difference in the way his teammates treat him. It’s not, ‘That’s Lochlan and he runs Unified.’ It’s, ‘That’s Lochlan and he’s on our team.’
“For him, that’s been really good to not feel different. And for me, it’s not just my excitement for what he’s doing, but the excitement of kids who have (historically) been pushed to the side to get on this stage and do this. They get to run. You can talk about inclusivity all you want, but talking about it and seeing it are two different things.”
CHSAA has run a Special Olympic/Paralympic 100-meter dash since 2000, according to CHSAA track commissioner Jenn Roberts-Uhlig. In recent years, the organization added other sprint events as well as field events (long jump, shot put, discus). What began with one heat in the 100-meter dash in 2000 has since expanded to 17 heats across the 100 and 200 meters this year.
The events remain exhibitions, with any Special Olympic/Paralympic athlete eligible to compete, even without a qualifying time/distance.
But on Thursday, that unofficial status made no difference to Walker, an 18-year-old with autism and a receptive speech delay whose ultimate goal is to compete in the Special Olympics World Games.
“People say that I am the fastest (Special Olympian) in the state, and yes, I am,” a grinning Lochlan said after winning the 100. “I’m hoping to get into Special Olympics soon, so I can be great at this sport for many years. My mom and I just need to figure out how to do that. But the past three years, the coolest part is being able to see my friends during track, supporting them, seeing them support me.”
CHSAA’s 100-meter dash for disabled athletes is officially named for Geoffrey Zaragoza, an Alamosa student who dealt with developmental disorders. Geoffrey was the son of renowned local track/cross country coach Larry Zaragoza, who spent 45 years coaching and won 11 state titles across the two sports.
After Geoffrey died from the effects of an enlarged heart in 2003, then-CHSAA track and field commissioner Rhonda Blanford-Green renamed the Special Olympic/Paralympic 100-meter dash after him in 2004. Geoffrey was a manager for the Mean Moose, and was known for his infectious energy around the track.
Jenna Taylor said Geoffrey’s legacy lives on through the 100-meter dash and continues to prove that those with disabilities “might be different, but they’re not less.” Taylor was Zaragoza’s classmate at Alamosa. She went on to found a non-profit in Austin, Texas, called Independent Identity, a day program center for adults with autism and intellectual and developmental disabilities that was born out of Geoffrey’s memory.
“Not only do people with disabilities find value in being included and treated like a person, I think everyone else gets a lot of value from being around people with special needs or disabilities,” Taylor said. “They bring a different outlook and positivity, so the community needs to learn how to interact with someone with autism, how to interact with someone with an intellectual disability.
While most of the competitors in the Special Olympic/Paralympic events embedded within the CHSAA state track program are students with intellectual disabilities, there is also a handful of Paralympic athletes. Currently, Special Olympians (also referred to as Unified athletes or adaptive athletes) compete alongside Paralympic athletes, who have physical impairments but not intellectual disabilities.
For the Paralympic athletes, at least one runner on Thursday pined for a para-specific competition at the state meet.
Banning Lewis Academy’s Jason Dunnock runs in the Geoffrey Zaragoza Paralympic and Special Olympic 100m dash during the 2024 Track & Field State Championships at Jeffco Stadium in Lakewood, Colorado on May 16, 2024. (Photo by RJ Sangosti/The Denver Post)
“I wish it was more physical disabilities I was racing against,” said Banning Lewis Academy senior Jason Dunnock, who blew away his heat in the 100 meters alongside Special Olympics athletes and was the fastest Para athlete in the event at 14.53 seconds. “I want to run against other Para athletes and see what I can do.”
Dunnock has fanconi anemia, a rare inherited disease characterized by physical abnormalities, bone marrow failure, and a higher-than-normal risk of sickness. He had to receive a bone marrow transplant as part of his treatment, and has learned to adapt to living with abnormal arms and hands.
For athletes such as Dunnock, John Register also argues the Paralympic races should be standalone, with official times and classifications as determined by the International Paralympic Committee.
Register, who has served as one of the announcers at state track for the past six years, was a three-time All-American at Arkansas who lost his left leg following an accident while training for the hurdles for the 1996 Olympic Games. After that, he became a two-time Paralympian who made the 1996 Games as a swimmer and then won a silver medal in long jump at the 2000 Games.
“I do want people to understand the difference between the two,” Register said. “Somebody might stop a race in the Special Olympics and help someone across the finish line — that ain’t happening in Paralympic sport.”
Roberts-Uhlig called the Special Olympics/Paralympics events “one of the greatest things we do here at state track,” and the rousing reaction from the grandstands during the 100- and 200-meter races backed up that sentiment.
Nick Dixon, the Unified coach for Gateway, said “the smiles at the finish line are always the most rewarding.” Dixon, who is also a paraprofessional at Gateway, wants to see opportunities for his Special Olympics/Paralympics athletes increase in coming years.
“I would like to see this sport sanctioned like Unified bowling is,” Dixon said. “I would like track sanctioned, basketball, everything our Unified athletes do be sanctioned by CHSAA. That’s the next step.”
Roberts-Uhlig says that’s an “ongoing conversation with all Unified sports” at the CHSAA level. Unified bowling was sanctioned in 2019, and several districts have Unified/Special Olympic track meets in some form.
In the meantime, athletes like Walker and Dunnock continue to embody the spirit of inclusion that’s been the case for the last 25 state track meets that have featured Special Olympic/Paralympic events.
“We get into this narrative of the overcoming story, when in actuality, we’re just allowing (disabled athletes) to do what everyone else wants to do,” Register said. “Like all high school students, they’re just trying to find themselves, and this makes it just a little bit easier.”
Fairview’s Lochlan Walker, right, win his heat during the Geoffrey Zaragoza Paralympic and Special Olympic 100m dash at the 2024 CHSAA State Track and Field Championships at Jeffco Stadium in Lakewood, Colorado on May 16, 2024. (Photo by RJ Sangosti/The Denver Post)
Warm, sunny weather will shine over Denver Thursday as the last of Wednesday’s storm rolls out, according to the National Weather Service.
Denver residents should enjoy time outdoors with plenty of sunshine and light wind Thursday and Friday before a new set of thunderstorms hits the city this weekend, NWS forecasters said.
Temperatures in the metro area will reach the upper-70s Thursday before dipping down to 50 degrees overnight, forecasters said. Friday could bring highs around 85 degrees.
Calm winds between 5 mph and 8 mph will drift through the metro area in the afternoon, according to NWS forecasters.
Starting Saturday afternoon, a new wave of rain showers and thunderstorms could pour over Denver, with the largest chance of weekend rain falling between noon and midnight Saturday, forecasters said.
Thunderstorms and rain showers could roll through the metro area through early next week. The NWS forecasters project chances of afternoon and evening storms Monday through Wednesday.
Starting Friday, elevated fire weather conditions could spark red flag warnings for the eastern plains due to warm temperatures, low relative humidity and increased winds in the area, according to a NWS hazardous weather outlook.
A rundown of the CHSAA state track and field meet to be held Thursday through Saturday at Jeffco Stadium in Lakewood:
10 things to watch
The team races: The Niwot girls track and field dynasty is likely in for yet another coronation, with the Cougars returning two state champions (Addison Ritzenhein and Jade West) and insane depth in the 4A meet. But after that? There’s plenty of mystery in Classes 5A and 4A. Cherokee Trail has a real shot at claiming a second straight 5A boys title but is by no means a lock, and the 5A girls meet is wide open. Northfield has the depth to claim its first team title in the 4A boys meet, but the Nighthawks will have to earn it.
Four for LaFore: A year after sweeping the throws in the 5A boys meet, Chatfield’s Charlie LaFore appears primed to repeat the feat. The Chargers senior set a new 5A record with his top throw in the shot put (65 feet, 4.25 inches) earlier this spring, which is also the 13th-longest prep personal best in the country this season, according to MileSplit.com. The Kansas State commit isn’t too shabby in the discus, either. His top mark there (190 feet) is also a top-30 throw nationally.
Hurdling ahead: Another senior looking for an event sweep? Grandview’s Gabriella Cunningham can cement her claim as the state’s top girls hurdler if she can match the effort she’s already put forth this spring. With national top-20 times in both the 100-meter hurdles (13.61 seconds) and 300 hurdles (42.15), Cunningham is an overwhelming favorite to defend her 5A titles in both races. Of course, this is also the hurdles, where absolutely nothing is guaranteed.
Vines family business: The track and field world is already well-acquainted with De Beque senior Scottie Vines. The reigning 1A boys high jump champion broke the state high jump record earlier this season with a 7-4.25 and already has a spot sewn up in next month’s U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Eugene, Ore. But his sister, Ava, has a chance to make her own mark this weekend as one of the state’s best by defending her 1A girls high jump crown. With Scottie Vines also competing in the 1A boys 100 and 200, the family trophy case could be due a new collection of hardware.
Sprint sweep, Part I: Few athletes have burst onto the Colorado prep track scene quite like Windsor senior Mikey Munn this season. Last spring, the South Dakota football commit didn’t compete in a single individual race at the state meet (he was part of Windsor’s 400-meter relay). A year later, he has the state’s top times in the 200 and 400, according to MileSplit.com, and his 100 PR (10.51) is behind only Cherokee Trail’s Peyton Sommers. With Sommers competing in 5A, that makes Munn a strong candidate for a sprint sweep in the 4A boys meet.
Sprint sweep, Part II: Speaking of breakout stars, it’s time to get to know Ellie Londo. The Valor Christian sophomore is staring down a potential sweep of the 5A girls sprints with the top seed times in the 100 (11.94 seconds), 200 (24.46) and 400 (55.74) — the latter of which also happens to be the top time in the state, regardless of classification. Pull that off, and another strong Eagles team just might contend for the program’s fourth team championship in five state meets.
Going the distance: As is often the case, this weekend’s meet is bursting with distance-running talent on both the boys and girls sides. For the boys, there’s Navy commit Dane Eike, the reigning 5A boys 3200 champion and top seed in the 1600, and Battle Mountain teammates Porter Middaugh (Arizona State) and Will Brunner (Harvard) in the 4A meet. For the girls? Well, there are simply too many names to list. Just know that Gatorade national cross country runner of the year Addison Ritzenhein of Niwot, N.C. State commit Bethany Michalak of Air Academy and Notre Dame commit Isabel Allori of Liberty Common, who set a new Colorado prep record in the 3200 (10:04.16), are going to put on a show.
Pole vault face-off: The under-the-radar showdown of the meet? That has to be The Classical Academy’s Anna Willis vs. Peak to Peak’s Kourtney Rathke in the 3A girls pole vault. The two have gone toe-to-toe at the state meet each of the past three years, with Willis winning once and Rathke twice. Willis enters this weekend tied with Broomfield’s Lilly Nichols as the top-ranked vaulter across all girls classes, but there’s little doubt Rathke will push her once again. And even if she doesn’t, Rathke has a chance to be a three-time state champion in the long jump, too.
Chasing double digits: There is dominance, and then there is Dayspring Christian senior Eboselulu Omofoma — an eight-time state champion looking to four-peat in both the 2A girls 100 hurdles and high jump. Entered into three events this spring, including the triple jump, Omofoma has a shot at finishing her prep career with double-digit individual titles. If she wants to get 11, her biggest hurdle — outside of the actual hurdles, of course — just might be the high jump, where Hoehne freshman Braylee Foster will offer stiff competition.
Another face-off: A year after finishing second behind Grand Junction’s Miller Jones in the 4A long jump, Roosevelt junior Jayden Nohr gets another shot at a second state title. The Rough Riders junior enters the state meet with the 18th-best leap (23-9.5) among prep athletes in the nation this spring, but he’s got another top-notch leaper just behind him in Mesa Ridge’s Avant Wright (23-9). This one could be a back-and-forth battle.
Returning state champions
Class 5A boys
Athlete
School, year
Event
Winning mark
Peyton Sommers
Cherokee Trail, Jr.
200
21.10
Peyton Sommers
Cherokee Trail, Jr.
400
46.77
Dane Eike
Valor Christian, Sr.
3200
9:13.27
Kaleb Kimaita
Horizon, Sr.
High jump
6-6
Tyler Rowan
Monarch, Sr.
Pole vault
15-8
Charlie Lafore
Chatfield, Sr.
Shot put
55-8.75
Charlie Lafore
Chatfield, Sr.
Discus
178-6
Class 5A girls
Athlete
School, year
Event
Winning mark
Rosie Mucharsky
Denver East, Jr.
800
2:09.57
Gabriella Cunningham
Grandview, Sr.
100H
13.78
Gabriella Cunningham
Grandview, Sr.
300H
42.71
Farrah Eike
Valor Christian, Sr.
High jump
5-5
Mary Ella Brooks
Ralston Valley, Sr.
Shot put
37-3.75
Addison Edwards
Cherry Creek, Sr.
Discus
126-7
Bethany Michalak (’21)
Air Academy, Sr.
4A 1600
4:55.01
**Lilly Nichols (’22, ’21)
Broomfield, Sr.
Pole vault
12-9
Class 4A boys
Athlete
School, year
Event
Winning mark
Joseph Ciccio
Lutheran, Sr.
100
10.53
Will Brunner
Battle Mountain, Sr.
3200
9:26.76
Wyatt Turner
Canon City, Sr.
High jump
6-5
Jayden Nohr (’22)
Roosevelt, Jr.
3A Long jump
22-9
Class 4A girls
Athlete
School, year
Event
Winning mark
Ella Hagen
Summit, Jr.
1600
4:54.35
Addison Ritzenhein
Niwot, So.
3200
10:30.05
Eva Bellot
Green Mountain, Sr.
High jump
5-6
Ella Pears
Longmont, Sr.
Triple jump
37-3.50
Jade West
Niwot, Jr.
Shot put
40-8.25
Class 3A boys
Athlete
School, year
Event
Winning mark
Austin Tice
Estes Park, Sr.
800
1:54.49
Matthew Edwards
The Classical Academy, Sr.
3200
9:20.88
Jordan Wenger
The Classical Academy, Sr.
High jump
6-8
**Jordan Wenger
The Classical Academy, Sr.
Triple jump
45-7
Nicholas Rothe
University, Jr.
Pole vault
14-0
Johnny Whyrick
University, Sr.
Shot put
52-10.5
Johnny Whyrick
University, Sr.
Discus
149-5
Jackson Fagerlin (’22)
Resurrection Chr., Jr.
1600
4:22.79
Justin Bate (’22)
Liberty Common, Sr.
Pole vault
13-6
Class 3A girls
Athlete
School, year
Event
Winning mark
Andie Rasmussen
Eaton, Sr.
400
56.05
Jaycee Williams
Berthoud, Sr.
800
2:13.20
Sarah DeLaCerda
Alamosa, Sr.
1600
4:55.95
Sarah DeLaCerda
Alamosa, Sr.
3200
11:04.13
**Kourtney Rathke
Peak to Peak, Sr.
Pole vault
13-0
**Kourtney Rathke
Peak to Peak, Sr.
Long jump
18-2
Savanna Amack
Northridge, Sr.
Triple jump
37-3
Brilee Jensen
Coal Ridge, Jr.
Shot put
38-9.5
Jaedyn Kohn
Woodland Park, Sr.
Discus
125-7
Isabel Allori (’22)
Liberty Common, Sr.
1600
4:55.12
Isabel Allori (’22)
Liberty Common, Sr.
3200
10:57.69
Anna Willis (’21)
The Classical Academy, Sr.
Pole vault
12-6
Class 2A boys
Athlete
School, year
Event
Winning mark
Landon Hadley
Peyton, Sr.
100
11.11
Logan Tullis
Cedaredge, Sr.
110H
15.32
Logan Tullis
Cedaredge, Sr.
300H
40.19
Brady Mollendor
Sedgwick County, So.
Triple jump
44-3.5
Class 2A girls
Athlete
School, year
Event
Winning mark
Peighton Marrero
Strasburg, Jr.
400
57.11
Natalie Washburn
Tinmath, Jr.
800
2:19.04
Keira King
Lake County, Sr.
1600
5:20.36
Mikaela Kendall
Heritage Christian, So.
3200
11:46.99
***Eboselulu Omofoma
Dayspring Christian, Sr.
100H
14.81
***Eboselulu Omofoma
Dayspring Christian, Sr.
High jump
5-1
Eboselulu Omofoma
Dayspring Christian, Sr.
Triple jump
36-5
Taiya Carl
Buena Vista, Jr.
Pole vault
9-7
Kaitlyn Pearson
Swallows Charter, Sr.
Long jump
17-6
Elizabeth Brooks
Cedaredge, Sr.
Shot put
38-9.25
**Gemma Powell
Lyons, Sr.
Discus
131-4
Class 1A boys
Athlete
School, year
Event
Winning mark
Josh Snyder
Cheraw, Sr.
1600
4:40.40
Josh Snyder
Cheraw, Sr.
3200
10:28.64
**Scottie Vines
De Beque, Sr.
High jump
6-10
Konner Rowden-Stum
Genoa-Hugo/Karval, Sr.
Long jump
22-0.5
**Konner Rowden-Stum
Genoa-Hugo/Karval, Sr.
Triple jump
42-10
Ryan McCaffrey (’22)
Akron, Sr.
Pole vault
12-9
Class 1A girls
Athlete
School, year
Event
Winning mark
Roxy Unruh
Prairie, So.
100
12.38
Roxy Unruh
Prairie, So.
200
25.86
Erica Miller
Sanford, Jr.
800
2:23.01
Kya Piel
Merino, So.
1600
5:33.05
Kya Piel
Merino, So.
3200
12:18.61
Ava Vines
De Beque, Jr.
High jump
5-5
Jade Kuntz
North Star, So.
Pole vault
9-0
Emily Hume
Walsh, Jr.
Long jump
16-2
Mckenna Notter
Stratton, Sr.
Triple jump
34-0
**Zadie Mackey
Elbert, Sr.
Shot put
39-3.5
**Zadie Mackey
Elbert, Sr.
Discus
136-9
Krista Wieser (’22)
Idalia, Jr.
100
13.47
Paola Vidales (’22)
Kiowa, Sr.
1600
5:38.97
*** Three-time champion | ** Two-time champion | (’21) won in 2021 | (’22) won in 2022
Monday will be mostly sunny across northeast and north central Colorado with isolated and scattered showers and thunderstorms in the foothills and mountains later in the day.
Yesterday’s rain may continue in the Denver metro area this afternoon with a 20% chance of showers and thunderstorms after 3 p.m. and a high of 72 degrees. Tonight will be mostly cloudy with a low of 49 degrees.
Showers and thunderstorms are expected to return after noon on Tuesday with a 40% chance of precipitation and a high of 77 degrees. Rain may continue Tuesday night, mainly before midnight.
Chance of precipitation on Wednesday rises to 70% with showers and thunderstorms possible in the morning and afternoon and a 40% chance of precipitation before midnight Wednesday night.
Rain and thunderstorms may continue in the Denver metro area throughout the week and into the weekend, according to the NWS.
Hans Von Ohain and Nora Bass (Photo via lawsuit filed by MLG Attorneys at Law)
Tesla’s advanced Autopilot driving system malfunctioned and caused one of the electric car maker’s Colorado employees to drive off the road and die in a fiery crash, a newly filed wrongful death lawsuit alleges.
The widow of Hans Von Ohain says her husband was driving back from golfing in Evergreen with a friend on May 16, 2022, when the Autopilot system “unexpectedly caused the 2021 Tesla Model 3 to sharply veer to the right, leading it off the pavement” on Upper Bear Creek Road.
The 33-year-old Von Ohain, who was intoxicated, fought to regain control of the vehicle, “but, to his surprise and horror,” the car drove off the road and into a tree, where it burst into flames, according to the 16-page complaint filed May 3 in Clear Creek County District Court.
The Colorado State Patrol said in its 403-page crash report that the car’s condition after the crash made it impossible to access data to determine whether the self-driving feature was engaged at the time.
But the passenger in the car, Erik Rossiter, who suffered injuries in the crash, told investigators that Von Ohain was using the autonomous drive feature on the trip home, according to the CSP’s final report.
“It was uncomfortable,” he told troopers. “The car would swerve off toward the side of the road periodically and bring itself back.”
The vehicle was traveling 41 mph at the time of the crash, just above the 40 mph speed limit, according to the CSP report.
Von Ohain also used the self-driving feature on the way to the golf course, Rossiter said — a trip he called “a bit nerve-wracking.”
An autopsy report showed the driver’s blood-alcohol level at three times the legal limit. His widow, Nora Bass, told the Washington Post in February that she had been unable to find an attorney to take the case due to his intoxication.
“Regardless of how drunk Hans was, (Tesla CEO Elon) Musk has claimed that this car can drive itself and is essentially better than a human,” Bass told the newspaper. “We were sold a false sense of security.”
Efforts by The Denver Post to reach Bass or her attorney were unsuccessful.
If Von Ohain was, in fact, using the Full Self-Driving feature, it would make his death the first known fatality involving Tesla’s most advanced driver-assistance technology, the Washington Post reported.
Bass and her attorneys allege Tesla knowingly released the self-driving system in vehicles when it was just a prototype and unready for consumers.
Tesla did not respond to messages from The Post seeking comment. Von Ohain worked for the Texas-based carmaker as a recruiter.
Federal regulators have logged more than 900 crashes in Teslas since they began requiring automakers to report accidents in 2021 involving driver-assistance systems, the Washington Post found. At least 40 resulted in serious or fatal injuries.
Tesla’s Autopilot system has been highly controversial and subject to intense scrutiny from authorities and consumers.
In December, the company issued a recall for nearly all of its 2 million U.S. cars aimed at improving driver attention.
Two years ago, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that the Tesla Autopilot’s features may not have sufficient guardrails to “prevent driver misuse.” The federal probe came after a series of Teslas using the system had run into parked emergency vehicles.
Reuters on Wednesday reported U.S. prosecutors are looking into whether Tesla committed securities or wire fraud by misleading consumers and investors about the technology’s capabilities.
Adre Baroz, nicknamed “Pyscho,” was sentenced to life in prison for the 2020 homicides of five people in the San Luis Valley, according to court records.
Korina Arroyo, Selena Esquibel, Xavier Zeven Garcia, Myron Martinez and Shayla Hammel were killed and their bodies dumped near the Colorado-New Mexico border.
Co-defendants Julius Baroz and Francisco Ramirez also pleaded guilty to charges related to the murders in February. Julius pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit murder and received 25 years in prison with credit for 1202 days served. Ramirez pleaded guilty to three counts of tampering with a deceased human body and was served three eight-year sentences.
Glass fell from the window of a high-rise building in downtown Denver after it was shot at on Saturday night.
The Denver Police Department and Denver Fire Department were both alerted to shots fired near the 600 block of 15th Street on Saturday around 8 p.m., Denver police officer Siena Riley said.
One window on the 25th floor of office high-rise building Block 162 at 675 15th St. appears to have been damaged by gunfire, she added in an emailed statement. Responders at the scene cleaned up shattered glass that had fallen to the street. Representatives of the building told officers that they would board up windows on Saturday night.
However, on Sunday, police received calls about loose and falling glass. “Officers had to go back out there and request more glass be cut and the windows be boarded up,” Riley said.
No injuries have been reported, and no suspect information is available.
“Right now, it is unknown where the shots came from,” Riley said.
The teenager fell into the silo, which is a concrete cylinder sunk into the ground, around 3:30 a.m. Sunday near 82000 East County Road 22 in Deer Trail, according to the sheriff. The boy’s friends, a group of teenagers, followed him into the silo after he fell, officials say.
The boy’s friends have been rescued, according to a 7:24 a.m. Sunday post on X. The rescue team is in the silo trying to recover the boy, who has been seriously injured, according to the sheriff’s department. A rescue helicopter is on standby, officials say.
One of only two Byzantine Catholic congregations in Denver is looking to upgrade.
Holy Protection of the Mother of God has listed its existing church building at 1201 S. Elizabeth St. with an asking price of $1.1 million.
That’s $435 a square foot for the 2,600-square-foot structure, which listing agent Matt Harper said a buyer could use as a day care or residence.
“It’s a very interesting architectural building,” Harper said. “It’s surrounded by nothing but residential. It’s a really unique area.”
Harper, of Madison Commercial Properties, is also helping Holy Protection find a new home. He said the congregation has grown in recent years and would like to get something in the range of 6,000 to 10,000 square feet.
“It’s a tough project to do sometimes,” Harper said. “There’s not a whole lot of inventory of churches on the market, and if there are, they are really large or small. It’s tough to find.”
The church’s existing three-story building sits on the edge of the Belacro and Cory-Merrill neighborhoods and includes three office-like rooms, two bathrooms, a main hall where services are held and a small mezzanine on the third floor. The building dates to 1943, per the listing.
Harper said he’s already toured other faith-based groups and someone looking to convert the space into a yoga studio.
Byzantine Catholics have the same beliefs as other Catholics, but follow the traditions of the Eastern Catholic Church instead of the Western Catholic Church, which most American congregations align with. For example, Eastern Catholic services tend to be longer and involve repetition in prayers, and churches usually have many icons, or pictures, throughout.
Holy Protection is a parish under the Arizona-based Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Phoenix, according to its website. It was established in Denver in the 1970s and has operated at its current site since at least the early 2000s.
Holy Protection is one of two Byzantine Catholic churches in Denver, according to the Archdiocese of Denver.
This story was reported by our partner BusinessDen.
Denver police are investigating after an overnight crash involving a light rail train and a pedestrian turned deadly in the city’s Park Hill neighborhood.
An unidentified man was crossing against warning signals at Quebec Street and Smith Road when the train collided with him, Denver police spokesperson Katherine McCandless said.
Officers responded to reports of the incident about 11:45 p.m. Friday, and the man was pronounced dead at the scene, McCandless said.
Multiple Regional Transportation District light rail lines shut down temporarily Wednesday after a train hit a car running a red light in downtown Denver’s Central Business District.
The crash happened around 1 p.m. at the intersection of Stout and 15th streets in Denver, RTD spokesperson Tina Jaquez said. No light rail customers or operators were injured in the crash.
RTD’s D and H lines experienced delays that resolved around 2:30 p.m., once the crash was cleared from the tracks, Jaquez said.
The driver of the car transported to the hospital with minor injuries, said Siena Riley, a spokesperson for the Denver Police Department. The driver ran a red light and was hit by the train.
Two people were injured overnight in two shootings across Denver.
The first shooting happened in the 3700 block of North Peoria Street, Denver police reported at 11:28 p.m. Saturday on X.
One woman was taken to the hospital with unknown injuries and no arrests have been made, police say.
The second shooting happened at East 12th Avenue and Lincoln Street, police reported at 3:32 a.m. Sunday. One victim, an adult male, was found and taken to the hospital, according to police. The extent of his injuries is unknown at this time and no arrests have been made.
Anyone with information should contact Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 720-913-7867.
All northbound and southbound lanes are closed at 1st Avenue and Emery Street at mile point 315.4 in Longmont.
The Burlington Northern Santa Fe train is blocking multiple intersections, including 1st Avenue and Main Street, 1st Avenue and Coffman Street and 1st Avenue and Emery Street.
The derailment, caused by a detached wheel on a train car, is minor, but the train cannot be moved until it is repaired, according to the City of Longmont. The repair will likely occur after 8 a.m. on Friday.
Travelers should expect delays and detours in the area. The City of Longmont recommends finding an alternate route.
