Sheriff: Man killed wife, called cops

AURORA | A man killed his wife and called sheriff’s deputies to turn himself in Wednesday, the Arapahoe County sheriff’s office said.

The 47-year-old man, whose name has not been released, called deputies to his home in the 23800 block of East Archer Place at about 8:30 a.m., according to a statement from the Arapahoe County sheriff’s office.

When deputies arrived at the home near East Sixth Avenue and E-470, the man told them he and his wife had been arguing and he shot her.

Inside, deputies found a deceased white female. The woman’s name has not been released. 

The man was then taken into custody.

Aurora cop arrested on child porn charge

Sgt. Morgan Sellman

AURORA | An Aurora police sergeant has been arrested in El Paso County on child pornography charges. 

Sgt. Morgan Sellman, 39, a 14-year Aurora police veteran, faces up to 12 years in prison if convicted of the charges, according to Colorado Springs police. 

Sellman, who worked as the department’s quartermaster and DARE coordinator, has been placed on unpaid leave pending the investigation, Aurora police said. 


Here is a link to the Colorado Springs police release on the case. 


Click below for a statement on the case from APD. 

Man struck by car Tuesday dies

AURORA | A man struck by a car early Tuesday morning near Anschutz Medical Campus has died, police said Wednesday.

Clifford Nash, 61, of Aurora, was struck shortly before 6:30 a.m. Tuesday while he crossed East Colfax Avenue just west of Aurora Court, police said in a statement.

Police said Nash had just got off an eastbound bus on the southside of Colfax when he and a group of bus passengers walked across Colfax.

The rest of the group stopped in the median, but Nash continued into the westbound lanes of Colfax, where he was struck by a Volkswagen Passat.

The driver of the Passat, Janet Anderson, 31, of Aurora, had drivien through a green light at Aurora Court and did not see Nash because of his dark clothing and because he was partially hidden by a car in another lane, police said.

When officers arrived Nash was laying in the street and Anderson had pulled over to the side of the road.

Nash was rushed to an area hospital but passed away around 9 p.m. from his injuries.

Police said Anderson will not face charges.

Pedestrian killed Tuesday morning

AURORA | A 61-year-old Aurora woman was killed Tuesday morning when she was struck by a van on South Havana Street. 

The crash happened at about 6:20 a.m. a few yards north of the intersection of Havana and East Mexico Avenue. 

Police said Rebecca Ramirez, 39, of Aurora, was driving a 1983 Chevy Van north on Havana when she drove through a green light at Mexico. 

About 12 to 15 feet north of the intersection, the van hit Carmen Vasquez-Rios, who was crossing the street. 

When police arrived, Vasquez-Rios was laying in the street. She died later at an area hospital. 

Police said in a statement that investigators believe the darkness, Vasquez-Rios’ dark clothing and her failure to use the crosswalk contributed to the accident.  

Ramirez will not be charged, police said. 

UPDATE: Cops ID man killed in truck crash

AURORA | Police have identified a driver killed in a rollover early Monday as Michael Dowdy.

Dowdy, 26, of Aurora, died after crashing a pickup truck near Quincy Reservoir.

Police said the crash happened at about 3:35 a.m. on East Quincy Avenue near South Pitkin Street.

The truck, a 2002 blue Dodge Ram with Kansas license plates, was headed west on Quincy when it slammed into a curb near South Richfield Street. The driver lost control of the truck and it careened into the eastbound lanes, hitting a light pole and an embankment before rolling over.

When emergency crews arrived the truck was upside down and the driver still in the cab.

The driver was taken to an area hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Speed was a factor in the crash, police said, but it is not yet clear if drugs and alcohol were as well.

In a statement Monday afternoon, police said a toxicology exam, which will determine whether alcohol and drugs were a factor, could take up to eight weeks to complete. 

Pot doc due in court this afternoon

AURORA | The Aurora doctor who police say doled out bogus medical marijuana perscriptions is due in court this afternoon. 


I will be in court for the hearing, which starts at 1:30 p.m. Check for updates here and on twitter.  


Here is a link to a previous story on the case. 

One dead in early morning crash

AURORA | A man died after crashing a pickup truck early Monday morning near Quincy Reservoir. 
 
Police said the crash happened at about 3:35 a.m. on East Quincy Avenue near South Pitkin Street.

The truck, a 2002 blue Dodge Ram with Kansas license plates, was headed west on Quincy when it slammed into a curb near South Richfield Street. The driver lost control of the truck and it careened into the eastbound lanes, hitting a light pole and an embankment before rolling over.

When emergency crews arrived the truck was upside down and the driver still in the cab.

The driver was taken to an area hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Police said the driver, who was the only person in the truck, was not carrying identification so they have not yet identified him.

Speed was a factor in the crash, police said, but it is not yet clear if drugs and alcohol were as well.

Cops ID Central suspect

AURORA | The man police say shot an Aurora Central High School student in front of the school Monday afternoon has been identified as Luis Guzman-Rincon, 19.
Police released Guzman-Rincon’s name Thursday, a day after he was arrested in Aurora in connection with the shooting.
Guzman-Rincon has been charged with attempted first-degree murder and first-degree assault and is being held in the Arapahoe County Jail in lieu of $100,000 bond.
Police said Guzman-Rincon may be in the country illegally. According to jail records, federal immigration authorities have also placed a hold on him.
The shooting happened around 2:30 p.m. Monday at the intersection of East 11th Avenue and Newark Street, just a few yards from the campus’ northern edge.
Police said when officers arrived at the scene, the victim had already been rushed to a local hospital by friends in a purple Acura Integra.
The victim has been identified as Karina Vargas, 17, a Central High junior. Police haven’t said publicly whether the girl was in a car or in the street when she was shot, but a spokesman said the department knows that information.
Witnesses said Monday there was supposed to be a fight between gang members at the intersection around the time of the shooting, but police said the victim was not involved in any altercation before she was shot.
Police confirmed Thursday that the shooting was gang related.

Arrest made in Central shooting

AURORA | The man who shot an Aurora Central High School student in front of the school Monday afternoon has been arrested, police said.

The man, whose name has not been released, was arrested Wednesday afternoon in Aurora, according to a statement from Aurora police.

Police said the man was being questioned at police headquarters Wednesday afternoon.

The shooting happened around 2:30 p.m. Monday at the intersection of East 11th Avenue and Newark Street, just a few yards from the campus’ northern edge.

Police said when officers arrived at the scene, the victim had already been rushed to a local hospital by friends in a purple Acura Integra.

The victim has been identified as Karina Vargas, 17, a Central High junior.

Police haven’t said publicly whether the girl was in a car or in the street when she was shot, but a spokesman said the department knows that information.

Witnesses said Monday there was supposed to be a fight between gang members at the intersection around the time of the shooting, but police said the victim was not involved in any altercation before she was shot.

Police said the shooting may have been gang related.

Cops now seek Infiniti related to ACHS shooting

A car similar to the one police are
searching for, photo courtesy of APD.

AURORA | Police said this afternoon they are looking for a black, 1990s Infiniti sedan in connection with a shooting Monday near Aurora Central High School. 

Initial reports from police on Monday said they were looking for a black or primer gray Dodge Neon, but police said in a statement today that description was incorrect. 


The victim, a 17-year-old student at Central, remained hospitalized Tuesday, a spokeswoman for University of Colorado Hospital said. The spokeswoman said the girl's family asked for privacy and the hospital could not release further information about her condition.


We will have more on this story later this afternoon. 

Click below for the full release from Aurora police. 

Fraud crackdown finds billions in losses

AURORA | Federal prosecutors said yesterday that a nationwide crackdown on financial crime netted charges against 343 people accused of $2.1 billion in fraud. 

In Colorado alone, investigators filed four criminal cases that involved 882 victims losing more than $55 million, according to a statement from the United States Attorney’s Office in Denver. 

Click below for the full release from the US Attorney. 

No updates yet for Central High shooting

AURORA | Police said this morning they likely won’t have any updates on yesterday’s shooting at Aurora Central High School until later today at the earliest. 

We will update here and on the twitter feed as soon as we hear more. 

For now, click below for our story on the shooting that ran today.

CSP launches new anti-DUI effort

AURORA | The Colorado State Patrol is increasing its efforts to keep holiday revelers from driving drunk this month. 

In addition to increased DUI patrols from now until early next month, State Patrol is offering rewards including free cab vouchers and hotel stays to drivers who pledge not to driver drunk. 

“You can still have a good time with friends and family, but take responsibility for yourself to be safe and line up a sober ride if you’re celebrating with alcohol.  If you don’t plan ahead, that’s when bad situations arise and you can end up behind bars or worse,” Col. James Wolfinbarger, Chief of the Colorado State Patrol, said in a statement announcing the contest.

According to the statement, anyone who takes the plan ahead pledge is eligible to win a free night out in Denver, including an overnight hotel stay, dinner for two and a town car for safe and sober transportation.  Also, businesses that encourage their employees to be safe this holiday season can enter to win a free holiday lunch for their employees. All of the information can be found at www.PlanAheadColorado.com.  

Click below for the CDOT and CSP release. 

Search for missing woman continues

Durst and George. Click to enlarge.

AURORA | Police continued to search this week for a 21-year-old woman whose boyfriend was found slain the couple’s Aurora apartment last month.

Tiffany Shantay Durst was last seen just a few days before police found Terence Scott George, 22, dead Nov. 22 inside Durst’s apartment in the 12200 block of East Kepner Place.

Police said Thursday that Durst’s family and friends have not heard from her for more than two weeks.

Police are calling Durst a person of interest in the man’s death and said they want to make sure she is safe.

Durst might be driving a 1996 maroon Oldsmobile Cutlass with Colorado license plate 750-VBW.

Also Thursday police released another picture of Durst and George.

Police are asking anyone with information on the case to contact Detective Chuck Mehl at 303-739-621.

FBI looking for bank robbery suspect

AURORA | The FBI is looking for a woman who robbed an Aurora bank Tuesday morning. 

The robbery happened about 11:30 a.m. Tuesday at the Bank of the West at 1389 S. Havana St. 

According to a statement from the FBI, a black woman in her 20s approached a teller and showed note demanding money. The woman then fled with an undisclosed amount of cash. 

The FBI described the woman as between 5 feet 10 inches and 6 feet tall with a very thin build. Investigators have dubbed her the “Slim Fast Bandit.”

During the robbery, the woman was wearing a striped knit cap and a jacket with a fur-lined hood. 

Investigators are asking anyone with information about the robbery to call the FBI Rocky Mountain Safe Streets Task Force at 303-629-7171; or remain anonymous and earn up to $2,000 by calling Crimestoppers at 720-913-STOP (7867).