Author: KRDO

Sadie Buggle

EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) – A shelter-in-place for a one-block area in El Paso County was lifted Wednesday afternoon after an armed suspect who had barricaded himself inside a home with two young children surrendered to law enforcement.

The Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) said that on Aug. 23, it began investigating an individual who was armed with a gun and representing himself as a federal agent. The department identified the suspect as 23-year-old Antonio Mellon and obtained a warrant for his arrest.

On Wednesday, Aug. 27, the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office (EPSO) SWAT Team assisted CSPD in attempting to arrest Mellon at a home in the 1300 block of Burnham Street, in unincorporated El Paso County.

However, CSPD said that when officers attempted to speak to Mellon, he barricaded himself in the house with two young children inside and refused to come out. While Mellon was barricaded, police say he pointed a firearm at officers from inside the house several times.

The active scene led EPSO to issue a shelter-in-place order for the 1300 block of Burnham Street at 9:04 a.m.

CSPD said officers and deputies worked to peacefully resolve and de-escalate the situation. KRDO13 crews on scene saw not only CSPD and EPSO at the scene, but also agents in Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) vests.

Mellon eventually surrendered over three hours later at 12:47 p.m. and was taken into custody without incident, CSPD confirmed.

EPSO lifted the shelter-in-place for the one-block area at 1:19 p.m., once the scene was fully cleared.

Police confirmed the children in the home were not injured during the standoff.

Mellon was arrested and taken to the El Paso County Jail. CSPD said he is charged with impersonating a police officer, possessing a firearm as a previous offender, four counts of first-degree assault, and two counts of child abuse.

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Celeste Springer

PALMER LAKE, Colo. (KRDO) — Palmer Lake Trustee Atis Jurka is calling for an investigation into an upcoming recall election, making serious accusations about violations of Colorado election laws.

On Sept. 9, residents will head to the polls to vote on two items: whether to remove Trustees Shana Ball and Kevin Dreher, and also whether voters should decide future annexation decisions.

Trustee Jurka is calling on District Attorney Michael Allen and Attorney General Phil Weiser to investigate the election. Jurka alleges that election signs were stored under a desk less than five feet from a ballot box.

“We want to have a fair, level playing field,” said Jurka.

Courtesy: Trustee Atis Jurka

In Colorado, campaign signs are prohibited within 100 feet of a polling place or drop box.

Courtesy: Trustee Atis Jurka

“If I’m a voter and I’m kind of shy and I’m not outspoken, I go to the town office and I see the town office having this sign saying vote no….There might be some retribution against me,” says Jurka.

When asked about this, Interm Town Manager Glen Smith said the red sign in the picture is from a paddleboard company that was left around the lake.

Smith says the purple sign was a campaign sign, but that it was only there because a police officer found it in the middle of the road and dropped it off at town hall.

Additionally, Jurka alleges that there are large campaign banners, which are identified as “Paid for by Friends and Neighbors.” Jurka says the group is not registered as a committee.

“One doesn’t even have a designation of who paid for it. And the other one has is paid by ‘neighbors and friends’, but they’re not registered with the campaign office,” mentioned Jurka, saying that multiple signs aren’t following campaign rules.

In Colorado, committees for recall elections must register themselves if contributions or expenditures for the group cost more than $200, according to the Secretary of State’s Office.

KRDO13 also did not find a committee of that name registered with the Secretary of State or listed under the town’s page with committee registrations.

Jurka mentioned other concerns, too. He said citizens had told him that supporters of the recall were being weeded out as election judges when they were found to be supporters of the effort. KRDO13 was not able to confirm this claim. KRDO13 did learn that El Paso County Clerk and Recorder Steve Schleiker sent Palmer Lake a list of election judges they had previously used. It’s not clear if Palmer Lake selected judges from that list.

Schleiker said that to be an election judge, you don’t have to live in a specific area; you just have to be a registered voter in the state

The final concern Jurka outlined was a failure by the Town of Palmer Lake to coordinate its election with El Paso County. However, Schleiker said that due to the Palmer Lake Charter, they were unable to coordinate their election. Schleiker added that their charter is very specific about only being able to coordinate for general elections in an even-numbered year.

Now, for the actual town trustees vote on approving the Palmer Lake Buc-ees. That vote has been pushed back. The town planning commission has not made its final ruling.

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Rob Namnoum

The Air Force football team will open up the season on Saturday at home against Bucknell. It is Parents weekend at the Academy.

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Rob Namnoum

The CSU Pueblo football team will open the season at home on Thursday night. The Thunderwolves will host South Dakota Mines, their nickname, the Hardrockers.

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Celeste Springer

PUEBLO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) — A spokesperson with Pueblo County says things are moving forward with a recall effort to remove Pueblo County Coroner Brian Cotter from office.

An investigation into Cotter began when 24 decaying bodies were allegedly found in a hidden room at his privately-owned mortuary, according to DORA documents.

You can read all of our reporting on the case by clicking here.

As of publication, no criminal charges have been filed against Cotter. The district attorney’s office previously said that it would need to complete the investigation before evaluating charges.

Last week, state and local officials gathered for a press conference calling for his resignation. They said that, based on Colorado statutes, no single public official could remove Cotter from office.

From there, a recall petition among residents was launched. If everything clears, the petition will allow voters to oust Cotter from office.

According to a spokesperson for the county, an official Notice of Intent to Circulate a Recall Petition has been filed with the clerk and recorder’s office.

What’s next?

The clerk’s office has three business days to establish a cost estimate for the recall. The recall petition will also need to go through a vetting process to ensure it adheres to the law.

If everything checks out, the county says petitioners will have 60 days to collect valid signatures from registered Pueblo County voters. The number of signatures required varies, but in this case, the county says they will need 16,431 verified signatures.

Once those signatures are submitted, the clerk’s office will have 28 days to verify them, ensuring that the signatures are from registered voters.

If at least 16,431 signatures are verified, a recall election can be held. An election would be held, and voters would decide whether to remove Cotter from office.

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Celeste Springer

The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office held a press conference on this incident. You can watch below:

EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) — The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office (EPSO) says they have launched a criminal investigation after a passenger was found deceased along Highway 24 this morning.

According to the sheriff’s office, someone called in to report a three-car accident off Highway 24 near Judge Orr Road at 8:10 a.m. on Tuesday. They say the victim’s injuries are not typically seen with traffic crashes, and this quickly became a criminal investigation. The victim was in the passenger seat of a white pickup truck pulling a black trailer.

“A passenger in one of the vehicles involved, a white pickup truck towing a black trailer, appeared to be seriously injured or deceased, and life-saving measures were attempted. Unfortunately, those efforts were unsuccessful,” said Cassandra Sebastian of the El Paso County Sheriff’s office.

Meanwhile, EPSO says the driver of the pickup truck fled, and now investigators are searching for this driver, but as of the press conference, he has not been located. Two nearby schools were briefly put on lockdown, the sheriff’s office added.

The drivers of the two other cars involved in the accident stayed at the scene, EPSO said.

EPSO was not able to speculate on whether the death was related to a road rage incident or if the passenger was hurt elsewhere before getting in the truck.

The sheriff’s office says it will handle the criminal investigation, while the Colorado State Patrol will be conducting an investigation into the crash.

“Then next thing you know, I just seen ambulance lights, cop cars, and I looked over and then next thing you know, there was a white vehicle all crashed and everything, and it looked pretty bad from what I’ve seen,” said Ryan Burns, an employee who works at Falcon Tire across the street from where this crash occurred.

EPSO has not released a description of the driver who fled. If you have any information about this case or dash camera video, the sheriff’s office asks that you call (719)390-5555.

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Celeste Springer

PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) — The Colorado Bureau of Investigations (CBI) released new details in the investigation into Davis Mortuary and owners Brian and Chris Cotter.

According to the CBI, a total of 24 bodies were located at Davis Mortuary. Additionally, “multiple containers of bones and several containers of probable human tissue” were also located. It’s unknown how many people are tied to the containers of bones and human tissue.

Brian and Chris Cotter are co-owners of Davis Mortuary. Brian Cotter is also the standing Pueblo County Coroner. The mortuary made nationwide headlines last week after 13 Investigates was the first to break the story that it was under investigation.

Brian Cotter reportedly told inspectors that some of the bodies had been in the room for roughly 15 years, and that he “may” have given some families fake cremains.

According to Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA) documents, the mortuary was due for its first annual inspection when inspectors found bodies in various states of decay in a room hidden by a cardboard display.

On Friday morning, the CBI descended onto the homes of Brian and Chris Cotter. The CBI said they were executing search warrants, but did not elaborate further. The CBI made no mention of any remains located at the homes; the human tissue and bones were all found across town at the mortuary, they said.

A KRDO13 crew at the scene of Brian Cotter’s home saw investigators carrying out bags of evidence on Tuesday morning. Brian Cotter was also there, standing outside as the search was underway. Investigators were on scene for hours and left with pieces of evidence, including what appeared to be a piece of a desktop computer. A KRDO13 crew also saw investigators motioning to Cotter’s RV on the property. It’s unclear if it’s of any interest, but neighbors say they haven’t seen it moved in years.

“It is a surprise. I hope that justice prevails,” said neighbor Louis Reyes. “I want to see justice.”

As of publication, criminal charges have not been brought forth for Brian or Chris Cotter. The district attorney’s office said it must finish the investigation before evaluating potential charges.

The CBI says they have not questioned either of the brothers, as they have lawyered up.

The Pueblo County Board of Commissioners announced late on Tuesday afternoon that a recall petition for Brian Cotter has been filed. According to a spokesperson for the county, if the recall petition clears legal requirements, petitioners will have 60 days to collect 16,431 valid signatures. From there, the signatures are verified. If everything checks out, the issue will head to voters, who will decide whether to remove Cotter from office.

For all of our reports on this case, click here.

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Celeste Springer

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — The Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) says they are investigating after a body was found in Fountain Creek early Tuesday morning.

There is a closure running from East Las Vegas Street and Royer Street, police said.

As of right now, CSPD says the death doesn’t appear suspicious, though the coroner will need to determine the official cause of death.

Details are limited at this time, but this article may be updated.

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Scott Harrison

PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) — People who drive or live along Jerry Murphy Road on the city’s northeast side have noticed that street “dips” at two adjacent intersections were lowered recently, but not for the reasons they hoped for.

As KRDO 13’s “The Road Warrior” reported in February, the dips at several intersections along the road were built before current construction standards; they are designed to help drainage flow into storm drain inlets which are several blocks apart.

However, the dips are very bumpy for vehicles to drive over and often cause vehicles to scrape their undersides on the pavement.

Neighbors believe that the dips also pose a safety concern because drivers traveling too fast have lost control, hitting the dips and crashing into parked vehicles, yards, and even houses.

Derrick Camus and Debbye Duran-Camus said that they had a close call with a drunk driver.

“It came through here, took out the side of our house here, and I was sleeping in that bedroom — and the wall that it came in was about that far from my sleeping head,” Debbye recalled. “So, this is a dangerous area.

Concerned neighbors and drivers want all of the dips removed, but the city lowered them only at the Glenmore Road and Taos Road intersections.

That change, the city explained, was made as part of a requirement to meet federal disability standards for pedestrians crossing the intersection.

Concrete slabs known as cross pans had cracked along the dips, and repairs increased safety for pedestrians, as well as improving drainage.

The city also installed new curbs, gutters, and sidewalks around the intersections for added safety.

The dips are near Haaff Elementary School, and many students and parents walk through the area to get to and from school.

Drivers should be aware that the lowered dips don’t make the street entirely flat, so drivers should proceed cautiously over them.

The Road Warrior noticed that many drivers are doing exactly that because they’re accustomed to it.

However, the city stated that the most effective solution to reduce crashes caused by the remaining dips is for drivers to slow down.

“We weren’t going in there to put it in for traffic concerns or anything like that,” said Chuck Roy, the city’s acting public works director. “This was really just for walkability and for getting the water across the road.”

Some residents didn’t know the reason for the lowered dips until they saw The Road Warrior’s live coverage on Tuesday morning.

“Thank you for your piece on the Jerry Murphy dips,” Gayle Rovertson wrote in an email to The Road Warrior. It answered several questions I had. But what about the bad cracks and potholes on Jerry Murphy?”

The city plans to repave Jerry Murphy next year, at the earliest.

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