Author: KRDO

Rob Namnoum

“I know that every every player is curious about it,” says Rockies manager Bud Black.

Hitters in Major League Baseball are curious about torpedo bats. They are baseball bats that look like a torpedo. The design of the bat helps improve making contact with the ball and bat speed, “So I think it just depends on your swing and where you miss,” says Rockies catcher Hunter Goodman, “I would try it out. I mean, see if I like it or not before using it in the game or should.”

Rockies third baseman adds, “I try it? I mean, you don’t know if you’re missing something big that can,  you know, change how you feel in the box and stuff like that. So. Yeah, definitely. Definitely. Worth trying.”

“Yeah, I got a couple on the way.  I’m not too sure if I’ll commit to it or not, but, you know, see how I like it and then go from there,” says Rockies outfielder Brenton Doyle.

Doyle says he will try the torpedo battle, but he also believes that baseball bats  don’t help you perform sorcery.

“I’m a firm believer that, you know, it’s not the wand, it’s the wizard or whatever saying you can go with there. But, you know, I’m gonna try it and see if I like it at all. I don’t really think it matters what bat you use. I think it’s more the hitter,” says Doyle.

Speaking of the hitter, Rockies pitcher Kyle Freeland tries to get them out for a living.”good curveball” and he says torpedo bats are not.  He is trying to make sure that hitters miss his pitches,

“Me personally, I don’t care. I’m trying to miss barrels, not hit barrels. So if they think it works, if it’s  placebo effect, whatever, if there’s actual science behind it, numbers we’ll see after this season, after five seasons of how those numbers stack up against normal,” says Freeland.

“But we’re still in that,  you know, test pilot  time period. I’m not sure whether it’s  a trendy fad or whether there’s really, truly something behind them. Time will tell,” says Black.

Michael Logerwell

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – Colorado Springs Police tell KRDO13 Investigates they are still searching for another driver involved in the road rage crash that killed a 21-year-old and shut down the interstate for hours on Friday.

At this point in the investigation, police couldn’t say what charges the driver would face.

KRDO13 Investigates obtained police documents that describe the road rage incident in more detail.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE:

CSPD: Road rage incident leads to fatal crash and hours-long closure on I-25 in Colorado Springs

21-year-old identified as victim in I-25 road rage crash, three passengers still in critical condition

Durriel Humphrey is now facing felony charges of vehicular homicide and vehicular assault, along with misdemeanor charges of reckless and careless driving.

The arrest affidavit details his interview with police after the Friday night crash. Humphrey told authorities a white Dodge Charger was tailgating him, and he did not like to be tailgated. Then Humphrey said the charger changed lanes, sped up, and cut him off.

Humphrey then told police he sped up to 75mph to get ahead of “the joker,” and began waving at the driver of the charger. He said he was hoping it would get the car to leave him alone.

Another driver interviewed by police reported seeing Humphrey giving someone the finger. They added seeing Humphrey and the white car weaving in and out of traffic, causing drivers to suddenly brake.

After speeding up, Humphrey said he hit a grey Toyota, which hit the SUV that 21-year-old Salvador Diaz was driving. 

Humphrey is out on bond, and his first court date is at the end of April.

Colorado Springs Police have not named any other suspects, but told KRDO13 Investigates they have solid leads on who the second driver involved in the road rage incident is.

Mackenzie Stafford

MANITOU SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – On Tuesday, the Manitou Springs Police Department (MSPD) announced it will be offering free handgun locks to residents. MSPD says it’s part of its ongoing commitment to firearm safety.

The department says the locks are available on a first come, first served basis. They can be picked up at the police department window at 606 Manitou Ave.

Police say one of the main goals is to prevent accidents. Just a few years ago, a 4-year-old child shot and killed himself in Manitou Springs after his family reportedly left a loaded gun in the front seat of the car.

Ultimately, the mother of the child pleaded guilty to child abuse resulting in death and criminally negligent homicide in 2022. Prosecutors said her son’s death could have been prevented.

PAST COVERAGE: Parents arrested, face child abuse charges after 4-year-old dies from self-inflicted gunshot

Manitou Springs Police Chief Bill Otto said it was a tragic situation.

“A loaded firearm where a young child can get ahold of it. Nothing good is going to happen. Nothing at all,” said Manitou Springs Police Chief Bill Otto.

The 4-year-old’s death happened in the parking lot of a marijuana dispensary. According to court documents, the boy’s father went in to buy marijuana and left a loaded gun in an open dashboard cubby. The boy’s mother, Ashlynne Perez, was in the car when her 4-year-old unbuckled from his car seat and crawled to the front; court documents say Perez turned away and heard a bang. 

“Unfortunately, that poor little child and his family paid the price,” said Otto.

The charge against the father was dismissed, and the case was closed, according to Colorado Court records. The mother, Ashlynne Perez, was sentenced to one year in prison and two years of probation after she pleaded guilty to two charges following her 4-year-old son’s death.

“If that handgun lock, was on that that firearm, that accident would not have happened,” said Otto.

Police Chief Bill Otto is encouraging community members and parents alike to come get a free lock for a simple fix that could save a little one’s life. 

“It’s important to us in a way that we do not have to respond to a kid that has accidentally got ahold of mom and dad’s gun and shot themselves or someone else. As we all know, kids are inquisitive. They’re curious. They see the guns lying around. They want to pick them up. They want to play with them. They have no idea how it can be so dangerous in the finality of it if they accidentally shoot themselves,” explained the police chief.

MORE DETAILS: Manitou Springs Police Department offering free handgun locks

“We discovered we have about 30 to 40 extra gun locks they can use for handguns, long rifles, shotguns. Instead of leaving them sitting around, we might as well put them to good use and give them to our community if they want them. All they have to do is come by first come, first serve, and they can have a free gun lock,” Chief Otto added.

MSPD shared these photos of the handgun locks available.

Source: MSPD

Source: MSPD

“If anybody, anybody, whether or not, they’ve used firearms before or they have no clue on how these things work, come down. There will be an officer around that can show them how the firearm works, whether it be a rifle, again, a shotgun, or a handgun. We’ll take the time, and we’ll make sure they understand the basics of how to handle that firearm and the lock to go along with that,” said Chief Otto.

Chief Otto also explained that he is more than happy to order more handgun locks if there’s a demand in the community.

Celeste Springer

EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) – Officials with Manitou Springs say a 64-year-old man died on Tuesday morning while attempting to climb the Manitou Incline.

Officials say members of the Manitou Springs Fire Department responded a little after 10 a.m. for reports of a man in distress.

When first responders arrived, they said people nearby were already performing CPR. The victim was roughly 150 to 200 steps up the incline, officials said.

While an official cause of death has not been released, city officials sent the following statement:

“Many visitors underestimate the impact of our altitude and rugged conditions, especially in areas like the Incline.  Manitou Springs would like to remind everyone to take the incline slow, stay hydrated and know your personal limits.”

Bradley Davis

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – The Southern Colorado branch of Two Men and a Truck is partnering with Mary’s Home to bring essentials to struggling single moms this Mother’s Day.

“It takes a village to make sure we’re here to help these women,” said Two Men and a Truck Colorado Springs franchise manager Jackson Wibbles.

It’s part of the branch’s annual Movers for Moms program, now in its 18th year. It’s the first year partnering with Mary’s Home, who helps single mothers overcome homelessness.

“They’re really the hardest working people I’ve ever met,” Mary’s Home CEO Matthew Ayers said about single mothers. “They’re my heroes.”

Two Men and a Truck has donation boxes out around town in Colorado Springs and Pueblo where people can drop off their donations, including at Colorado Springs branch location at 3220 Fillmore Ridge Heights.

While Mary’s Home said it appreciates all donations, it puts the strongest emphasis on gift cards, baby items, toilet paper, tissues and toiletries.

“They’re protecting their kids. They have big goals for life,” Ayers said. “We see kids moving from crisis and not really knowing where their next meal or safe space is going to be, to just thriving!”

Two Men and a Truck will collect items until May 9, the Friday before Mother’s Day. It also has an Amazon wishlist people can buy items from online. You can also donate directly to Mary’s Home on their website.

Scott Harrison

EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) — Officials plan to reopen a segment of JD Johnson Road on Wednesday, for the first time since closing it because of flood damage in June 2023.

On the same day, Garrett Road — just around the corner from JD Johnson — will close for two months because of similar work.

And that’s not all: Next week, a part of Ellicott Highway — several miles northeast — will close for six weeks for repairs there.

JD Johnson and Garrett roads were affected by flooding in Black Squirrel Creek; Ellicott Highway was damaged by flooding in Brackett Creek.

Crews have built a low-water crossing to replace the section of JD Johnson that washed out, and will build a smaller version on Garrett; the crossings are designed to allow low drainage levels to flow under those roads but will be closed to traffic during high-water periods.

“We would have done Garrett together with JD Johnson,” said Veronica Cid, a senior engineer for the county. “But because the two roads are next to each other, we shouldn’t close two roads. We use one or the other as a detour.”

Workers will install a 48-inch culvert under Ellicott Highway to convey future drainage from Brackett Creek, and all three creek crossings on the affected roads will be paved with concrete for increased stability.

The county is spending $8 million — mostly from federal funds — to make repairs, and should finish the work this summer.

Crews also are widening and stabilizing the creek channels to better contain high-velocity flows.

Officials hope that the new infrastructure better prepare them for the next once-in-a-century flood.

A construction worker said that crews also will make minor improvements to the entrances to the National Mill Dog Rescue near the Garrett/JD Johnson intersection.

“These roads are built up higher than the rescue property,” he explained. “It’s hard for them to get the motor homes that they use to rescue dogs, in and out. So we’ll be doing some good-neighbor work to help them out.”

Michael Logerwell

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – On Tuesday, April 15, licensed shops will be able to sell recreational marijuana in Colorado Springs. However, not all stores that’ve applied for licenses will get their chance to sell to recreational users.

The City of Colorado Springs says 53 stores have applied for a retail license of a possible 86 licenses. As of April 14, only 27 applications have been approved.

“We’ve put a lot of work in on the back end, just getting the licenses and all that settled,” Dustin Taylor, the operations manager for The Epic Remedy, said.

According to the city’s database, these five stores are still waiting for inspections before obtaining their retail license.

A small group of stores, like Fountain Organics on Rio Vista, are still waiting for inspections before they can start selling.

Despite tomorrow being the first day licensed stores can sell to recreational customers, Taylor says Tuesday won’t be a grand opening day, “We have to kind of spend the day, tomorrow, getting that stuff into our system, getting it barcoded and getting the merchandise here in the stores so that we can begin sales.”

Because of specific rules, The Epic Remedy and the other licensed stores haven’t been able to even set up their stores with recreational products.

The Epic Remedy store on Fountain Ave.

Today, the interior of The Epic Remedy store on Fountain Blvd is half empty. Taylor says their stores are still serving medical customers during the transition.

“We won’t be fully merchandised right out the gate tomorrow,” Taylor says. Tuesday will be more of a soft opening. They hope to be able to sell recreational products in the afternoon. Potential customers are already excited. Employees at the Fountain Ave. location say people have been calling, inquiring about recreational products all morning.

However, the true size of the Colorado Springs recreational marijuana market remains to be seen.

“This is an untapped market here in Colorado Springs. So really, we kind of have to look outwardly at Denver and Pueblo,” Taylor said. “We definitely anticipate a much higher volume of people coming through, and we’ve done our best to prepare as much as we can.

However, not every store will start selling retail products. Taylor says The Epic Remedy location on N Academy will stay medical only. Taylor says they wanted to keep one store selling only to medical customers, and that location wouldn’t qualify for a retail license anyway. Just across the street sits Unique Play Place, a child care facility.

Mackenzie Stafford

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – On Sunday, April 13, a man working at the McDonald’s on North Academy Boulevard took swift action to alert local law enforcement of a suspicious situation in their resturaunt.

Just after 10 in the morning, Omar Campos saw Darryl McLaurin, a convicted sex offender, walk into the store with a little girl. Campos says he immediately knew something was off.

“A worker there actually noticed a man and a child came into the restaurant and just felt like something was not right in that situation. He really trusted his gut and called 911. He reported what he was seeing and what he was experiencing to our call taker, who then also understood the urgency of needing to get officers there,” explained Caitlin Ford with the Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD).

The store manager tells KRDO13 they had run into previous incidents with McLaurin at the McDonald’s.

Campos called 911 to report the situation. While he was waiting for police to arrive, the manager served McLaurin food to keep an eye on him and the girl in the store.

“He did a great job of keeping the situation where it was at, not trying to escalate it, not trying to insert himself into those things, but really, understanding the severity and understanding the feelings that he was having. I think we all know when, you know, the hairs on the back of your neck stick up. When you’ve got that gut feeling that there’s something not right. We all know that. So trust those gut instincts and give us a call. When you see something, definitely say something. Because this really could have turned out differently if he hadn’t done that,” urged Ford.

Campos also noted the importance of trusting your gut. He said he tried to ask the little girl if she was supposed to be with that man when McLaurin went to the restroom. Campos said she lied out of fear and said yes. But Campos explained that he still knew something was off, and now he encourages other community members to speak up when they see something. He said he’s grateful he did speak up.

Colorado Springs police officers were able to arrest McLaurin on the spot for outstanding warrants.

“This whole case really hinges on the fact that that employee did trust their gut and did call us to come in and figure out exactly what was going on. Without that call to 911, I don’t really want to imagine what could have happened or how this situation would have turned out differently,” said Ford, “so we’re just so thankful that we had a community member who saw something, who understood that something wasn’t right, trusted his gut, and did call 911 about it.”

Detectives with the Crimes Against Children Unit responded and took over the investigation, according to police.

CSPD says detectives determined that McLaurin threatened the young girl and aggressively lured her away from an apartment complex in the 3700 block of East San Miguel Street.

The little girl who police say is under 10 years old has been reunited, unharmed, with her parents.

CSPD said it’s unclear where her parents were during the incident. However, the department will not be filing charges against them.

McLaurin is facing new charges stemming from this incident, including second-degree kidnapping, enticement of a child, failure to register as a sex offender, and other charges.

CSPD is grateful for the vigilance of the Campos in this incident and asks anyone else with information to reach the police department at (719) 444-7000.

“We can’t be in all places at all times. And so being able to rely on our community members to see a crime, to feel something suspicious and know that they need to report it and be able to communicate that effectively to us so we can get out there to to make sure that the situation is safe as quick as possible. That’s really what we’re relying on for our community members to be that partner in public safety with us. And like I said, this is just an amazing example of that. And I think everyone in this department is very thankful for that community member,” shared Ford.

Ford also wants to remind parents to urge their kids to be aware of stranger danger.

“I think it’s always a good time to, especially as we’re coming into summertime and kiddos are going to be outside, play and run around parks, to remind our kids that what stranger danger is and remembering, what their safety tips need to be such as going and grabbing a trusted adult,” explained Ford.

Ford also recommended either joining or creating a neighborhood watch group. If this is something that interests you, you can contact the CSPD crime prevention unit.

“We have great neighborhood watch groups throughout our community. Our crime prevention officers at each division head up that program. So if you’re interested in starting a neighborhood watch group in your neighborhood or working with them on some crime prevention tips for your neighborhood and for your home, definitely contact your Divisional Crime Prevention Officer. They would be a great resource to help you build that community and take that public safety into your own hands,” said Ford.

Scott Harrison

EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) — Potholes on two local highways have been quickly patched by Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) crews, apparently the day after they were featured on a report by KRDO 13’s The Road Warrior.

“I noticed it this past Wednesday, around 6 in the afternoon,” said Sam Sprott, a viewer who alerted KRDO to a large pothole at the interchange of US 24 and Peterson Road. “I was very much surprised. Kudos to CDOT — whoever filled it. Kudos to them, because they really came out and did a good job.”

KRDO met Sprott on Tuesday at the pothole on the foot of the US 24 on-ramp, and nearly every passing driver seemed to be familiar with it and swerved around it; CDOT also filled several smaller potholes nearby.

More potholes reported by a KRDO viewer were also filled on southbound Highway 21 (Powers Boulevard), slightly north of the Fountain Boulevard intersection.

“Oh, sweet! That was fast!” said Michele McCarty, who contacted KRDO about the pothole.

Other potholes in the immediate area were not patched, however — meaning that more work in that area could be forthcoming.

Meanwhile, improvements are already planned for the US 24/Peterson intersection; Colorado Springs officials will announce details Wednesday about a project there that begins next month.

More challenging, however, is filling potholes in parking lots, on service roads or other private property.

In Tuesday’s story, KRDO also reported on a mass of large, deep potholes north of the Chelton Road/Delta Drive intersection, on a road commonly used by drivers as a shortcut to local businesses.

On some maps, the road is labeled as a continuation of Delta, but city officials recently confirmed that it is privately owned and is the responsibility of that owner to repair the potholes.

“Wow, I did not know that,” said Patti Smothers, who regularly uses the road. “I just figured it was a street, and that the city would be responsible for it. These (owners) need to get together, get some money together and get it done. But you have to get a lot of people before they’re going to do something. It’s just so bad that I thought someone would have already fixed it.”

KRDO did a parcel search on the El Paso County Assesor’s webpage and found that the property is owned by a local car wash; KRDO is trying to contact the owner.

KRDO also tried to contact the owners of property where potholes have developed and continue to worsen, both along South 8th Street: Behind the Sonic restaurant and in front of the Shell gas station.

KRDO is awaiting a response from those owners; in a 2016 report, Sonic repaired the potholes on its property after being contacted by KRDO but some of them have developed again and drivers have tried to fill it with nearby landscaping stones.

That same strategy was applied last fall by a driver, on the largest of a series of potholes on Democracy Point, in the Interquest area; after KRDO reported on the situation, the owner initially filled the potholes and later repaved the affected road segment.

A KRDO report also led to the patching of pesky potholes on an access road to and from the Walmart shopping center near the intersection of Powers and Woodmen Road; Walmart eventually repaved most of the road.