Author: KRDO

Emily Coffey

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO)—A tight-knit family and community are devastated by the loss of Aiden Hernandez, a soon-to-be father and recent Woodland Park High School grad.

Those who knew him say he was a pillar of the community and a bright and driven athlete with a passion for the culinary arts.

“Incredible young man, great energy, A smile that would just melt your heart.  Very intense. Very driven young man, even from an early age,” His former football coach, Chad Drummond, said.

El Paso County Sheriff’s Office says they were called out to assist with a work accident on 9500 Escondido Road on May 29th, at 9:58 a.m. They say that after administering CPR, he was pronounced dead on the scene. EPSO says a tree branch fell on Hernandez, but other details on the incident and his death are unclear.

“It dropped me to the floor,” Former Football coach Chad Drummond said. “I don’t know if I’ve still accepted it.”

Aidan was expecting a child with his longtime girlfriend, Michaela Boring. The Hernandez family did not agree to go on camera today.

“You will not find a closer family from when he was little until he graduated. If he had an event, everyone was there. If someone else in the family had an event, they were all there,” Drummond said. “They supported each other from morning to night, which is why my heart breaks for this family. It is absolutely a catastrophic loss.”

To contribute to the Meal Train, click here. For donations to the baby registry, click here.

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Mackenzie Stafford

BOULDER, Colo. (KRDO) — On Wednesday, witnesses from the Boulder terror attack and many religious leaders came together to denounce hate in any shape or form. The group stood united in the same spot along Pearl Street where the Sunday attack took place.

The group was all speaking out against the alleged actions of Mohammad Soliman, who lived in El Paso County. 

On Wednesday, a letter could be seen posted to the front door of the Soliman residence. It’s an eviction warning from the landlord looking to collect rent, however, no one is home to pay it. While the Soliman family is in ICE custody, on Wednesday, a judge issued an order blocking the deportation of Mohammed Soliman’s family.

The new message comes as leaders from a multitude of different faiths stood together to share their message of love overcoming hate. 

A crowd filled the space outside of the Boulder County courthouse to hear from Jewish, Islamic, and Catholic leaders. 

“The whole Jewish community is reeling, shocked that this hideous hate crime could happen right here in downtown beautiful Boulder.  And yet, we have seen this coming, and Jews here and all over America and the world have not been feeling safe, physically or emotionally, in the face of demonizing hate speech and dangerous rhetoric.  We are so grateful for the outpouring of love and support from our neighbors and friends, faith leaders from across the county, state and the world. Demonization of others has to stop. The hate speech has to stop,” said Rabbi Marc Soloway. 

Some shared that an attack on one religion and the ability to share your beliefs freely is an attack on all religions. 

“A threat to one faith community is a threat to all. The values, the values that we and I love so dearly, of pluralism and freedom and democracy. We cannot have those threats. And though we differ in faith and practice, we can be united in our care and attention for each other and for those in need,” stated Reverend Mary Kate Réjoius, St. Aidan’s Episcopal Church.

Others explained how being neighborly is a common thread in all religions, a pillar needed in the community in the wake of the attack. 

“We stand firm on our Islamic shared values of neighborliness, which are American values. We stand firm on that with our neighbors, whether Jewish, Christian or Muslim, at all times and especially at times like this,” said Imam Nader Elmarhoumi, Islamic Center of Boulder.

Ed Victor says the Run for Their Lives awareness group has held these walks since Oct. 7, 2023. Victor spoke about his experience on Sunday. 

“Suddenly, right by me, I think I heard a crash, and I felt a lot of heat. And a person is on fire, a woman is on fire. I’m saying this because that’s what happened. That’s what I saw. And I’ll tell you that my focus got extremely narrow at that time. I didn’t notice anything else. I was worried about that woman,” recounted Ed Victor, a participant in the Run for Their Lives awareness group.

Victor continued to explain the distress, trying to extinguish the fire.

“I’ll tell you what. Someone on fire takes too long to put out. Whether it took 1 minute or 2 minutes, I don’t remember. But I know it took too long. What did we have to put them out? You look around, you’re like, there are some flags. We have a banner. You do what you can. It was myself and three other people doing what we could,” explained Victor.

He shared how speaking out against anti-Semitism is so important right now– a message echoed by many of the speakers on Wednesday.

KRDO13 also reached out to the local Islamic Society of Colorado Springs, which shared this statement.

We at the Islamic Society of Colorado Springs are heartbroken by the tragic attack that occurred yesterday in Boulder, Colorado. Acts of hatred and violence have no place in Islam. Our faith teaches us to uphold justice, show compassion, and honor the sanctity of every human life. We stand firmly against all forms of extremism and violence, and we condemn yesterday’s attack in the strongest possible terms.

In times of tragedy, we are called to respond with empathy, kindness, and a shared commitment to peace. We pray for unity and understanding in our society, and we pledge to continue working alongside people of all faiths and backgrounds to build a more compassionate and just world.May Allah (SWT) guide us all to be sources of peace, mercy, and healing in our communities

-The Islamic Society of Colorado Springs.

The suspect, Mohammad Soliman, claimed that his attack was not an attack against Jewish people broadly, but against Zionist supporters of the state of Israel. 

Soliman is expected back in Boulder County court Thursday afternoon. 

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Celeste Springer

WASHINGTON (KRDO) — A judge has issued an order blocking the deportation of Mohamed Soliman’s family, according to ABC News. Soliman is accused of throwing Molotov cocktails at peaceful demonstrators who were calling attention to Israeli hostages over the weekend.

Court records show the family filed a suit contesting their deportation. Federal Judge Gordon P. Gallagher has scheduled a hearing for Friday.

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials say he was living in the country illegally after his work permit expired in March. Officials confirmed earlier this week that he lived in El Paso County with his wife and five kids. Secretary Kristi Noem said his family was being processed for removal, all of whom are Egyptian citizens.

“This terrorist will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. We are investigating to what extent his family knew about this heinous attack, if they had knowledge of it, or if they provided support to it,” said Secretary Noem in a release.

On Monday, officials said in a press conference that they believe Soliman acted alone, but they are actively pursuing any leads that come their way. Anyone with tips or information is encouraged to click here to submit tips.

Due to the wide breadth of damage allegedly inflicted by Soliman, Michael Dougherty the 20th Judicial District Attorney for Boulder County, explained on Monday that he had filed for the following charges:

8 counts of Attempted First Degree Murder (With Intent and After Deliberation)

8 counts of Attempted First Degree Murder (Extreme Indifference)

2 counts of Use of an Incendiary Device

16 counts of Attempted Use of an Incendiary Device

More charges are likely to come to light as Dougherty announced on Wednesday that the victim count had risen to 15.

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Celeste Springer

STATEWIDE, Colo. (KRDO) — A bill putting stricter regulations on the car booting industry has been signed into law in Colorado.

HB25-1117 provides additional oversight against what some lawmakers say is a predatory industry.

Car boots are typically large metal clamps that are put on a car’s tire, intended to prevent to owner from driving away. They are most commonly used as a method to get people to pay up on old parking tickets or force them to pay a fine for parking illegally.

Under this new law, car booting companies are required to ensure car owners are given a written notice at least 24 hours before booting their car. There is an exception if a car owner has received a previous notice for parking in the same manner.

“For most Coloradans, a car is not a convenience – it is a livelihood. Cars are how Coloradans get to work, buy groceries and medicine, and take their kids to school,” said Representative Mike Weissman (D). “These protections prevent predatory booting and ensure that hardworking Coloradans can quickly restore access to their cars.” 

Additionally, car booters must take photos of the car before they boot it. If they don’t, and the car ends up damaged, they could be held liable.

If a company puts more than one boot on a car, they can’t charge the owner more than once for removing the boots. They are also now required to provide a customer with an itemized receipt.

Finally, they must also remove a boot if the car owner pays at least $60 of the total amount owed.

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Scott Harrison

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — A year has passed since a controversy in the Ivywild neighborhood over white and yellow lane markers called delineators that were installed at two intersections along Cheyenne Boulevard.

And now, there are new developments since KRDO 13’s The Road Warrior broke the story in May 2024.

Delineators have been removed from the Cheyenne/Lorraine Street intersection — also closed to all except westbound traffic — and construction is underway.

The Road Warrior learned of the situation while driving through the neighborhood on Tuesday; some neighbors said that the intersection had closed on Monday but had no idea why.

City officials have yet to confirm the reason for the closure and the construction, but it’s likely due to the replacement of delineators with concrete bump-outs.

Bump-outs are extended curbs that stick out into streets and are designed to reduce the time needed for pedestrians to cross a street — which can increase safety for disabled or elderly walkers in particular.

A bump-out gives a pedestrian time to cross one side, wait or rest in a center median, and cross the other side.

Workers are setting up the framework for a median at the construction site, and sidewalks at the intersection have been removed; only westbound traffic on Cheyenne is allowed.

That hasn’t stopped some eastbound drivers, however, from trying to sneak through — until they’re stopped by workers and told to back up.

Last May, city officials made the intersection a four-way stop to reduce speeding and increase safety, although there’s mixed neighborhood opinion about how effective it has been.

Neighbors are undecided about the apparent coming of the bump-outs.

“Well, let’s see how it finishes up,” said Keith Hays, who has lived in Ivywild for 30 years. “The reason for the concrete is to slow the traffic down. I’ve never really seen a need to do it.”

Gregory Young said he supports anything that reduces speeding.

“I’m worried about maybe long-term plow interference with snow removal,” he said. “But if they want to keep fixing it from a snowplow hitting it, then who am I to question it?”

A former county commissioner led the initial opposition to the delineators, saying that they were unsightly and unnecessary, and that neighbors had no say in the decision to install them.

At that time, the city removed another group of delineators a few blocks east, at the Woodburn Street intersection; officials had studied the devices there and determined that they didn’t work well because the layout of that intersection is different.

Posted signs around the construction zone state that parking is prohibited from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. through the end of June.

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Bradley Davis

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – A Colorado Springs veterinarian travels to Tanzania on Friday with Rabies Free Africa to vaccinate dogs and cats for rabies to protect the local human population.

Dr. Anastasia McIntosh has worked as a veterinarian at Polo Springs Veterinary Hospital for over 18 years. Rabies Free Africa chose her for the trip to Tanzania and seven others out of hundreds of applicants nationwide.

“Over in Africa, it can cost upwards of a family’s annual salary if their child is bitten, and that’s just devastating,” Dr. McIntosh said. If we can protect the dogs and cats, we can protect the children.

McIntosh will fly to Tanzania on June 7 for the 10-day trip. Each day, McIntosh and the other doctors will vaccinate the local population’s dogs and cats for free. She said the goal is to vaccinate over 2000 animals to protect both the animals and the local human population.

McIntosh said people can help right here in Colorado Springs. Polo Springs Veterinary Hospital will donate $1 from every rabies vaccine appointment to Rabies Free Africa.

As of May 2024, rabies kills someone worldwide every 9 minutes. The goal of Rabies Free Africa is to end rabies deaths by 2025.

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Rob Namnoum

Matt Mahoney is happy where he’s at.  This is his fifth year playing for the Colorado Springs Switchbacks, “It Is my ninth year playing, and I would say the goals and what I want to achieve are a little different. You know, earlier in your career you try to make a name for yourself, trying to establish yourself and now being established.  You really just want to win.  But I still enjoy like I enjoy coming into work every day, and otherwise I wouldn’t do it. I try to enjoy every moment while I can and go from there,” says Mahoney.  

The little moments he appreciates, it’s the time he spends with his teammates, “We laugh every day. I mean, I’ve been very fortunate the year I played to be in locker rooms that we’ve all generally liked each other, you know, and we are 30 years old or in our late twenties. We just like to mess around and have fun, you know,  like  pick fun at each other. And that’s part of the part I’ll miss the most and I’m done,” says Mahoney.

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Celeste Springer

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — The State Games of America are coming to Colorado Springs in 2028, according to the Colorado Springs Sports Corporation (CSSC).

Organizers say the event will feature State Games winners from across the United States. The Olympic-style event features a wide variety of sports with amateur athletes.

CSSC says there will be more than 30 different sports featured with more than 8,000 athletes. Examples of different sports that could be included are baseball, soccer, swimming, pickleball, bowling, karate, and even esports.

A press release from the CSSC has not announced the 2028 dates for the competitions in Colorado Springs. The next scheduled event on their plate is the 2026 games, which are taking place July 28–August 2, 2026 in State College, Pennsylvania.

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Celeste Springer

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — It seems like common sense, but law enforcement agencies and even news agencies will tell you otherwise.

Time and time again, criminal activity, tips, and even emergencies are posted on social media. The problem? Sometimes, no one bothers to call 911.

“Messages sent to our social media accounts are not monitored in real time and cannot be entered into our dispatch system,” wrote the Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) on Facebook.

CSPD says officers can not be sent out based on a post or private message. If there’s an emergency, call 911.

If you have information to report that isn’t an emergency, like tips on a crime that is no longer in progress, you should call the non-emergency line at 719-444-7000.

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Celeste Springer

STATEWIDE, Colo. (KRDO) — Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) is sending out a warning to people across Colorado following a string of moose attacks. Female moose, also known as cow moose, have attacked a number of people recently, likely to protect their calves.

On Memorial Day, CPW was called out over a moose attack in Woodland Park. A man said a moose attacked his dogs, and one ultimately died from its injuries. CPW said his wife had been charged at just a day prior.

On May 30, CPW says two women in Fairplay were charged and trampled while walking dogs off the leash. According to the report, a neighbor was able to scare the cow moose away with a fire extinguisher. CPW said neither women sought medical treatment.

A day later, another report was made, but this time out of the Grand Lake area. A couple said they were walking their dog near Columbine Lake when a cow moose charged at them and knocked the woman to the ground. In that case, CPW said her boyfriend shot and killed the moose. CPW found this was in self-defense, so the man was not cited.

However, because a calf was left orphaned, CPW said they had to euthanize it.

“The decision to euthanize the calf was not easy to make,” said Hot Sulphur Springs Area Wildlife Manager Jeromy Huntington in a release. “While rehabilitation can be successful in some cases, it’s not a guaranteed solution. In the case of this moose calf, taking it to a rehab at such a young age would not be in the best interest of the animal’s long-term survival in the wild.”

Finally, on June 1, CPW says a woman was walking her dogs at River Creek Park in Steamboat Springs when she was attacked. A man located her on the ground, and when he went to help her, the moose reportedly returned to the scene and kicked him.

CPW says the woman is facing serious injuries.

CPW wants to remind people that cow moose often hide their calves, but will stand nearby to protect them. If you see a cow moose, it’s best to assume there are calves nearby that they will act out to protect.

When photographing or observing animals, CPW suggests using the “rule of thumb”; hold your thumb all the way out, and if your thumb doesn’t fully cover the animal, you are too close and need to get farther back.

CPW says most attacks involve dogs. It is important to always have your dog on a leash.

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