APD releases annual report

AURORA | Police today released their annual public safety report. 

The 43-page report details crime statistics, some notable cases from 2010 and some of the department’s achievements from last year. 

“Despite the ongoing challenges of the economy in 2010, our city continues to thrive, and our employees can take pride in their special contribution to building and maintaining our great city,” Aurora Police Chief Dan Oates said in the report.

The report is available at the department’s website, www.aurorapolice.com. 

Accused cancer faker pleads not guilty

Julie Jane Martin

AURORA | An Oregon woman accused of faking cancer and swindling a local charity out of more than $10,000 pleaded not guilty to felony theft Monday.

Julie Jane Martin, 38, is scheduled to go on trial in November, according to a spokeswoman for the Arapahoe County district attorney.

Police say Martin lied to officials from the Aurora charity Cops Fighting Cancer about being sick for more than a year, bilking the organization for air travel, hotel stays and other expenses.

At a court hearing in February, Martin’s lawyer said the Oregon woman had gone deaf since being charged last summer. A sign language interpreter was in the courtroom for Martin during that hearing, translating the precedings for her.

Prosecutors, however, were dubious of Martin’s claim of deafness, citing the allegations that she previously faked a terminal illness and asked that Martin provide documentation about her scheduled surgery.

Martin is currently free on bond. 

Man facing charges after Fat Boys shooting

AURORA | Police have arrested a 22-year-old man in connection with a shooting last week outside an Aurora bar. 

Tyson Joseph Turner is facing an attempted murder charge stemming from the shooting early June 23 outside Fat Boys bar at 10660 E. Alameda Ave., police said. 

The victim, whose name has not been released, is recovering from his injuries and is expected to survive, police said. 

According to Arapahoe County Jail records, Turner was booked into jail late last Thursday, less than 24 hours after the shooting. 

In addition to the attempted murder charge, Turner has been charged with first-degree assault and possession of a weapon by a previous offender. 

He is being held on a $500,000 bail and is set to appear in court Wednesday, according to jail records. 

Police have not released Turner's mug shot. 

Arraignment delayed in Central shooting case

Luis Guzman-Rincon

AURORA | The arraignment was delayed Monday for a man police say shot an Aurora Central High School student in front of the school last year. 

Luis Guzman-Rincon, 19, was expected to enter a plea at the hearing Monday morning in Arapahoe County District Court, but the hearing was continued until Aug. 8. 

It wasn’t immediately clear Monday why the hearing was delayed. 

Police say Guzman, a gang member who is in the country illegally, shot 16-year-old Karina Vargas in December during a dispute with other gang members. Vargas was an innocent bystander, police said. 

A judge ruled last month there was ample evidence for Guzman-Rincon to stand trial on several charges related to the Dec. 6, shooting, including attempted first-degree murder.

In all, Guzman-Rincon faces 16 charges that could send him to prison for the rest of his life. Federal immigration officials say he is in the country illegally and faces deportation if he is freed.

Arrests made in cell store robbery

AURORA | Police arrested two people Saturday in connection with a robbery at a cell phone store last week rthat left an employee injured. 

Jake Morales, 22, and Amanda Blankenship, 25, each face an aggravated robbery charge in connection with the June 21 robbery at a store in the 15000 block of East Colfax Avenue. 

Blankenship, who police say was the getaway driver, also faces a second-degree assault charge after police say she struck a store employee with her car when the employee chased Morales from the store. 

According to a statement from Aurora police Monday, an officer recognized a surveillance photo of Morales and later found the suspect vehicle at a motel 15600 block of East Colfax Avenue, a short distance from the cell phone store. Police found Blankenship at the motel and arrested her. Morales was arrested a short time later at a different motel in the 11200 block of East Colfax Avenue, police said. 

Investigators have not released the pair’s mug shots. 

Curfew crackdown this weekend

AURORA | Police are again cracking down on young people who stay out past curfew this weekend. 

The department announced Friday officers again will be on the lookout for curfew violators this weekend, issuing warnings or citations to young people out past midnight on the weekends and 11 p.m. Monday through Thursday. 

During a similar crackdown two weeks ago, police cited four people for curfew violations, though it wasn’t immediately clear Friday how many warnings they issued. 

Last year, APD issued 115 summonses for curfew violations. 

And, police said, 80 of those incidents were tied to another crime, such as weapons offenses, drugs or disorderly conduct. Others involved underage alcohol possession. 

The penalty for a curfew violation is a $25 fine.

Police: Burglar tried to attack 4 year old

AURORA | A burglar broke into a home early Thursday morning and tried to sexually assault a 4-year-old girl, police said. 

The incident happened around 6 a.m. in a home in northwest Aurora, said Aurora police spokesman Detective Bob Friel. Police are not saying what block the home is on. 

Friel said the girl’s parents heard noises coming from the girl’s room and when they went in to check, they saw a man standing over the girl. The man then fled the home.

Friel said the man tried to have “unlawful sexual contact” with the child and may have succeeded. 

The man is described as being between 15 and 19 years old and standing between five feet, five inches tall and five feet, nine inches tall. 

Police do not believe the incident is connected to any other crimes, but Friel said detectives are in a very early stage of the investigation. 

Man shot outside bar expected to live

AURORA | A man shot several times outside an Aurora bar early Thursday morning is expected to survive, police said. 

The man, whose name has not been released, was shot around 2 a.m. outside Fat Boys bar at 10660 E. Alameda Ave., police said. 

Detective Bob Friel, a spokesman for Aurora police, said the man was taken to an area hospital Thursday morning and is expected to survive. 

Investigators are following up on several leads, Friel said, but have not released information about a possible suspect. 

APD set for community forum Tues.

AURORA |  Police are set to meet with members of the Latino community Tuesday in an effort to improve communication between the two groups, police said. 

Commander Rob McGregor, who oversees District No. 1, said the forum is aimed at connecting members of the Latino community with police officers. 

Representatives from local neighborhood watch groups will be on hand as well as several Spanish-speaking police officers, McGregor said. 

If the event goes well, he said APD may hold more similar forums in the future. 

The forum is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at St. Therese Church’s Parish Hall, 1245 Kingston St. 

Man acquitted of murder charge

Jeffrey Jones

AURORA | A man arrested last year in connection with a 2007 slaying was found not guilty last week after a week-long trial. 

Jeffrey J. Jones, 43, was acquitted of the murder charge Thursday, according to a spokeswoman for the Arapahoe County district attorney’s office. 

Jones was arrested in May 2010 near Salt Lake City, two days after police issued an arrest warrant for him in connection with the slaying of Tyrone Williams, 25.

Police found Williams body Feb. 13, 2007, near his home in the 9800 block of E. Arizona Drive.

Jones was charged with first-degree murder and aggravated robbery. Police said after Jones’ arrest investigators believe he and Williams were “acquaintances.”

Sometime after the slaying, Jones moved to Utah, police said.

According to Arapahoe County Jail records, Jones was extradited from Utah to Colorado last July. Jail records available online show he is no longer being held at the county jail as of Monday morning.

DeLeon gets 35 years for girlfriend's slaying

Marcos DeLeon

AURORA | A judge Friday sentenced a man to 35 years in prison for killing his girlfriend last year at the couple’s Aurora apartment. 

Marcos Antonio DeLeon, 23, was convicted in April of second-degree murder in connection with the April 2010 slaying of 19-year-old Dakota Fresh at the couple’s apartment near East Montview Boulevard and Fulton Street.

DeLeon faced up to 48 years in prison on the second-degree murder charge. 

In addition to the 35-year-sentence, a judge also sentenced DeLeon to 8 years in prison on a marijuana distribution charge. That sentence will run concurrently with the murder sentence. 

During DeLeon’s trial his lawyer said DeLeon did not mean to kill Fresh that night and may not have been the person who pulled the trigger. Fresh grabbed a gun from the coffee table that night and held it to her head, threatening suicide, the lawyer said. And when DeLeon reached for the pistol, it went off.

But prosecutors said DeLeon’s actions in the minutes after the shooting — including fleeing the apartment, hiding out in a hotel and later at a friend’s house  —  showed he is guilty.

DeLeon has been in jail since police arrested him in the hours after Fresh’s slaying.

Mom charged in tot's death

AURORA | A woman whose 22-month-old daughter was killed while wandering alone in a parking lot has been arrested on a child abuse charge, police said. 

Karen Charlene Pena, 30, was arrested Thursday afternoon on a charge of child abuse resulting in death stemming from the May 27 of her daughter, Laniece Fletcher. 

Police said Fletcher was struck by a commercial van in an apartment parking lot in the 900 block of South Zeno Way.

Investigators from the department’s traffic bureau and crimes against children unit worked on the case, police said.

The driver of the van has not been charged with a crime, police said. 

Police have not released Pena's mug shot.

Seat belt sweep stings 8,000

AURORA | Police around the state issued more than 8,000 tickets for seat belt violations during a two-week crackdown that ended June 5, the Colorado Department of Transportation said Thursday. 

In Aurora, police issued 507 citations. 

Some municipalities issued warnings during the crackdown — a total of 222 statewide —but Aurora, like most of the larger departments, didn’t issue a single warning. 

The crackdown was part of a national effort aimed at increasing seat belt usage and during the two-week period, 11 drivers and passengers died in crashes in Colorado. Nine of them were not wearing seat belts.

“Writing tickets for not buckling up is something we don’t like to do, but we know it’s necessary to remind some people that it’s a law that could save their life,” Col. James Wolfinbarger, Chief of the Colorado State Patrol, said in a statement.

Out of the 8,105 citations issued statewide, 519 were for unrestrained children, 397 for teens and 7,189 for unbuckled adults. The minimum fine for not wearing a seat belt in Colorado is $65.  A citation for unrestrained children is $82 per violation.

Agencies arrested 41 fugitives, 139 people on DUI charges and 42 on drug charges during the crackdown. 

Since Click It or Ticket started in 2002, seat belt use in Colorado has increased from 72 percent to 82.0 percent, CDOT said.

The number of people killed in traffic crashes while not wearing their seat belts also fell 56 percent, CDOT said, dropping from 380 in 2002 and 166 in 2010.

Man named suspect in wife's slaying

Alan Geisler

AURORA | A man who killed himself a day after his common-law wife’s slaying last week is a suspect in the woman’s death, though the investigation is ongoing, police said. 

Alan Geisler, 46, killed himself Friday afternoon in Douglas County, a day after Aurora police found his wife dead of a gunshot wound inside the couple’s home on East Pacific Place. 

On Tuesday police identified the wife as Kathy Garcia, 41. 

According to Colorado Bureau of Investigation records, Geisler had been arrested several times in Colorado. He served prison time in 2009 on a n assault charge. 

An Aurora police spokeswoman said Friday that police had responded to Geisler’s home twice in the past year on domestic violence related incidents.

Judge says cop should stand trial

Michael Mangino

AURORA | A judge ruled Tuesday there is enough evidence for an Aurora DARE officer to stand trial on charges he forced a 15-year-old runaway to take sexually explicit photos of herself, according to court records. 

Officer Michael Mangino, 50, is charged with sexual exploitation of a child and contributing to the delinquency of a minor, both felonies. The 29-year APD veteran also faces a misdemeanor charge of official misconduct.

At a preliminary hearing Tuesday, an Adams County Court judge ruled there was enough evidence for Mangino to stand trial. His next court appearance is an arraignment scheduled for July 13. A trial date has not been scheduled. 

As a DARE officer, Mangino worked at six local elementary schools: Vaughn, Clyde Miller, Lyn Knoll, Arkansas, East Ridge and St. Pius X. As a police area representative, Mangino worked an area stretching from Potomac Street west to Peoria Street and East Sixth Avenue north to East Colfax Avenue.

The incident involving the 15-year-old girl happened in early March when Mangino arrested the runaway. Police said Mangino had the girl take sexually explicit photos of herself on Mangino’s personal cell phone.

The girl later told police about the incident and based on the ongoing investigation, Mangino was later placed on unpaid leave, police said.

Once the criminal case is complete, the department will launch an internal investigation into Mangino’s conduct that will determine his employment, police said.

AFD: Unattended pan caused Monday fire

Firefighters douse the blaze Monday morning.
Photo by Heather L. Smith

AURORA | A massive fire that torched three units at an Aurora apartment building Monday started with an unattended pan on a stove top, fire officials said. 

Nobody was injured in the blaze, which started around 10:30 a.m. in a first-floor unit at the Wentworth Apartments, 11255 E. Alameda Ave. 

Aurora fire spokesman Capt. Al Robnett said that initial reports said when crews arrived, there was fire and smoke coming from all three floors. 

Crews rescued three people using a ladder from the balcony, Robnett said. 

The fire caused about $250,000 in damage and the burned units will likely have to be gutted, Robnett said.

Wes Watson, 22, who lives across the stairwell from the third-floor unit that burned, said he and his roommate, Delaina Loera, 30, had smelled electrical smoke coming from that unit for a few days. Loera said the smell was so strong in recent days it made her sick. 

The pair said they were lucky to get out of the building unharmed with their three pets and Loera’s two children. 

Watson said he was surprised nobody was hurt in the blaze. 

“We’re really lucky,” he said.

Patricia Demchak Billinger, a spokeswoman for the American Red Cross Mile High Chapter, said there were three families living in the destroyed units. A total of 15people, seven adults and eight children, were displaced. 

In addition, there were nine other units that sustained smoke or water damage and may be uninhabitable, she said. 

NOTE: Click below for a picture of the blaze from the Aurora Fire Department as well as the department’s news release. 

Tracking device malfunctioned in search for boy

AURORA | An autistic child who went missing for several hours Sunday night and Monday morning was wearing a tracking device that didn’t work properly, police said. 

The Life Trak device Brandon Wells was wearing told searchers the boy was somewhere near Buckley Air Force Base early Monday morning, several miles from his home near East Hampden Avenue and South Picadilly Street, said Aurora police spokeswoman Sgt. Cassidee Carlson. 

When searchers found the boy around 4 a.m. Monday, more than six hours after he went missing, he was in the Plains Conservation Area, just a short distance from his home. 

Carlson said devices like the one on Wells’ wrist could be an important tool for police, that’s why investigators are trying find out what went wrong in Wells’ case. 

“The fire department and the police department are working with Life Trak, trying to figure out what went wrong and how to improve it,” she said.

Carlson said the problem could have been something as simple as dead batteries. 

Aurora fire spokesman Capt. Al Robnett said there are 14 people in the city with the devices. 

Early this month, a similar device on a 10-year-old autistic girl in Arvada didn’t work properly. The girl’s body was later found at a construction site. 

Fire tears through Aurora apartment

AURORA | A massive fire tore through an Aurora apartment building Monday, torching three units and forcing three people to flee via a ladder from a balcony.

Nobody was injured in the blaze, which started around 10:30 a.m. in a unit at the Wentworth Apartments, 11255 E. Alameda Ave. 

Aurora fire spokesman Capt. Al Robnett said that initial reports said the blaze started in a first floor unit and spread to apartments on the top two floors. 

When crews arrived, there was fire and smoke coming from all three floors, Robnett said. 

Crews rescued three people using a ladder from the balcony, Robnett said. 

The three damaged units will likely have to be gutted, Robnett said, but it isn’t clear yet how much damage the blaze caused. The cause of the fire is also under investigation, Robnett said. 

Wes Watson, 22, who lives across the stairwell from the third-floor unit that burned, said he and his roomate, Delaina Loera, 30, had smelled electrical smoke coming from that unit for a few days. Loera said the smell was so strong in recent days it made her sick. 

The pair said they were lucky to get out of the building unharmed with their three pets and Loera’s two children. 

Watson said he was surprised nobody was hurt in the blaze. 

“We’re really lucky,” he said. 

Man kills himself after wife's slaying

Alan Geisler

AURORA | A man whose common-law wife was found dead in the couple’s Aurora home Thursday killed himself Friday afternoon in Douglas County, police said. 
 
Police had been searching for Alan Geisler, 46, since finding his wife dead of a gunshot wound inside the couple’s home on East Pacific Place. Police have not released the woman’s name.

Geisler hadn’t been named a suspect in the woman’s death, but police termed him a person of interest.

Friday afternoon deputies from the Douglas County sheriff’s office responded to a report of a drunk driver on Rampart Range Road.

The truck had crashed and when deputies responded they found Geisler inside suffering a self-inflicted gunshot wound, police said. He later died at an area hospital.

Police said the investigation into the slaying of Geisler’s wife is ongoing.

According to Colorado Bureau of Investigation records, Geisler had been arrested several times in Colorado. He served prison time in 2009 on a n assault charge.

An Aurora police spokeswoman said Friday that police had responded to Geisler’s home twice in the past year on domestic violence related incidents.

Aurora couple indicted on workers' comp fraud charges

AURORA | An Aurora couple has been indicted on theft charges after state investigators say they bilked Pinnacol Assurance out of $140,000 in workers’ compensation claims. 

Colorado Attorney General John Suthers announced the 18-count indictment against Martin Lobatos, 39, and his wife, Belen Luna Lobatos, 37, Friday afternoon. 

According to a statement from Suthers’ office, Martin Lobatos first collected workers compensation after a September 2008 fall off a ladder while working as a roofer. He returned to work in October 2008 but still complained of dizziness and vertigo from the fall.  

Doctors said he fully recovered by April 2009 but after being fired and later accepting a $20,000 settlement from Pinnacol in September 2009, he complained of new symptoms, the statement said. He told doctors he suffered dizziness, memory loss, difficulty recognizing his own children and other physical problems.

In March 2010, Lobatos told doctors he was “fully catatonic,” the statement said, though witnesses saw him driving and shopping after acting catatonic during medical exams. 

If convicted of theft, the Lobatos could each face a fine of up to $750,000 and up to 12 years in prison, the statement said. 

Biker dies in Thurs. crash

AURORA | A 28-year-old motorcycle rider died after crashing Thursday night on Gun Club Road near East Jewell Avenue, police said. 

Police said Ronald Allen, 28, was riding a 1998 Honda motorcycle south on Gun Club around 9:50 p.m. when he collided with a white Oldsmobile Cutlass Sierra. Allen, who was wearing a helmet at the time of the crash, was pronounced dead at the scene. 

The driver of the Oldsmobile, Kanecha Torrey, 20, of Denver, had pulled over shortly before the crash because they were lost, police said. When they tried to re-enter Gun Club, Allen swerved to avoid the car, losing control and sliding into the car. 

Investigators are trying to determine whether drugs or alcohol played a role in the crash. Witnesses told police Allen may have been speeding at the time of the crash. 

Cops looking for man after wife's slaying

Alan Geisler

AURORA | Police are looking for a 46-year-old man after finding his common-law wife slain Thursday afternoon. 

Alan Geisler hasn’t been seen since investigators found his wife’s body around 3 p.m. Thursday inside a home in the 1800 block of East Pacific Place, police said. 

The woman’s name and cause of death have not been released, but police said they were investigating her death as a homicide.

Police did not say whether Geisler is a suspect in the woman's death.

Geisler may be driving a silver 2008 Toyota Tacoma pickup truck with Colorado license plate 537-RTO. The truck may also have an ATV in the bed, police said.

Police are asking anyone with information about the case to contact Detective Mark Yacano at 303-739-6090 or Crime Stoppers at (720) 913-STOP (7867).  

The Aurora Police Reward Fund in conjunction with Crime Stoppers is offering up to $4,000 for information on the case.

APD launching curfew crackdown

AURORA | Young people who stay out past curfew can expect a run in with Aurora police this summer. 

The department announced Thursday that officers will be cracking down on curfew violators this summer, issuing warnings or citations to young people out past midnight on the weekends and 11 p.m. Monday through Thursday. 

“In simplest terms, the City of Aurora’s curfew ordinance is about safety, crime prevention and preservation of the public peace. Youth under 18 who are out past curfew hours are exposed to risks, temptations and choices that may lead to involvement with the criminal justice system,” the department said in a statement. 

The crackdown is set to start Friday. 

Last year, APD issued 115 summonses for curfew violations. 

And, police said, 80 of those incidents were tied to another crime, such as weapons offenses, drugs or disorderly conduct. Others involved underage alcohol possession. 

The penalty for a curfew violation is a $25 fine.

Click below for the full APD release. 

Aurora fugitive arrested in Arkansas

Cedric McElroy

AURORA | A man wanted on an attempted murder charge in Aurora after police say he ran over his ex-girlfriend last month was arrested yesterday in Arkansas, police said. 

Cedric McElroy, 39, was taken into custody by police in Arkansas and the United STates Marshal Service, Aurora police said. Details of the arrest were not immediately clear Thursday. 

Police say McElroy ran over his ex-girlfriend, Virgie Manaway, May 12 after the two got into an argument when Manaway went to McElroy’s South Dawson Way home to pick up the couple’s 4-year-old son. 

Manaway suffered a skull fracture and other serious injuries and remains hospitalized, police said. 

Police said McElroy had a history of violence toward Manaway. 

Trial underway in 2007 slaying

Jeffrey Jones

AURORA | A murder trial is underway in Arapahoe County District Court for a 43-year-old-man arrested last year in connection with a 2007 slaying. 

A spokeswoman for the Arapahoe County district attorney said the trial of Jeffrey J. Jones started Tuesday and is scheduled to last two weeks.

Jones was arrested in May 2010 near Salt Lake City, two days after police issued an arrest warrant for him in connection with the slaying of Tyrone Williams, 25.

Police found Williams body Feb. 13, 2007, near his home in the 9800 block of E. Arizona Drive.

Jones was charged with first-degree murder and aggravated robbery. Police said Jones’ arrest that investigators believe he and Williams were “acquaintances.”

Sometime after the slaying, Jones moved to Utah, police said.

According to Arapahoe County Jail records, Jones was extradited from Utah to Colorado last July. 

Click below for APD press releases on Jones' arrest and Williams' slaying.