Category: krdo-local-news

Samantha Hildebrandt

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – Police responded to a domestic disturbance last night after 8 P.M on the 600 block of Erie Road.

Officers say a man was stabbed while another party tried to gain entry into the home.

The victim was taken to a nearby hospital with serious, but non-life-threatening injuries.

Detectives from the domestic violence and adult sexual assault unit have taken over the investigation. Agustin Sanchez Flores was arrested on multiple domestic violence-related charges.

Authorities say the investigation is ongoing at this time.

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Michael Logerwell

PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) – It’s an Absolutely Colorado event that’s been giving back to kids in Pueblo County who needs help during the holiday season.

Mary “Mama” Jaramillo started the Christmas Stocking Giveaway, but even after her death in 2009, the event has continued the giving tradition.

Now the Mama’s Christmas Stocking giveaway is run by Melissa Rodriguez, Jaramillo’s daughter. She told KRDO13 that her mother started the event by giving away Christmas stockings, jucie and cookies. At the event this weekend, Rodriguez said they’ve upgraded to giving out pizza and gifts to kids while continuing the Christmas stocking tradition.

In recent years, other parts of the community, like the Pueblo Police Department and local restaurants, have stepped up to expand the reach of the annual holiday event.

Based on pictures posted by the Pueblo Police Department, the calm weather made for a great day at St. Annes Park.

All photos from the Pueblo Police Department.

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Marina Garcia

PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) – It’s been nearly one year since a disturbing discovery was made on Pueblo’s north side, and no arrests have been made.

Family members say they still don’t know how 33-year-old Eric Anthony Tress ended up dead inside a freezer in the backyard of his neighbor.

Yesterday his family celebrated his birthday, marking another year around the globe.

But instead of a celebration, it’s a somber event, with one key person absent, and family members pleading for answers, refusing to let this be just another cold case.

“We should have been celebrating his life, not grieving his death,” says Eric’s mother, Wendy Tress. “It feels like it happened yesterday.”

On Christmas Eve, 2024, Pueblo police officers were called to a home on the north side of Pueblo.

There they found 33-year-old Eric Anthony Tress’ body in a freezer, in a neighbor’s backyard.

“Sometimes I can still kind of hear him saying my name around the house. You know, Ash. Was that Eric?” Says his grieving sister, Ashley Tress.

And almost a year later, his family still doesn’t know how he got there…or why.

KRDO13 reached out to the Pueblo Police, but we are awaiting any updates they may be able to provide.

“We want him to be at peace, you know, and I think justice would bring all of us peace,” says Ashley Tress. “I’m just glad I have my necklace because he’s always with me, my brother. Always. He was like my best friend. He was always there for me, no matter what.”

The family is urging anyone with information to call the police department.

They will also be hosting a vigil for Eric on December 23, at 2318 N. Main St at 6:30 at night and they are inviting all to attend. 

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Michael Logerwell

FT. CARSON, Colo. (KRDO) – Good news from Ft Carson after smoke and flames were seen from its property on one of the windiest days of the year.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Smoke visible from fire on Fort Carson

On Friday, Ft Carson told KRDO13 the fire in the base’s impact training area was around 1,600 acres, and it seems that’s the biggest it will get.

Saturday afternoon, a Ft Carson spokesperson shared the good news:

“All perimeter lines established around the fire held throughout the night. Smoke will be visible as crews continue to monitor the fire within the impact area.”

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Heather Skold

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — Downstairs on a Wednesday afternoon, you’ll find the entire basement of Peak Pickleball filled with players, some more experienced than others, but all with smiles on their faces. 

They come from different backgrounds, with one common denominator: they’ve all served our nation. 

“It definitely brings a whole new level of community and new stories that you don’t hear outside your own branch,” says Cody Krantz, about the Military Adaptive Court Sports League, or “MACS.”  Veterans of all military branches are here for the camaraderie and the competition. 

Krantz is equal parts encourager and sneaky-fast player.  

“In the line of duty, I sustained a head injury, which led to some seizures and neuropathy.  I still have my leg, but loss of use of the left leg, some weakness in the left arm.”

Because of his injury while a K9 MP in the Army, he plays from his adaptive wheelchair, which has, by his own admission, a distinct advantage: “nifty little storage devices,” he laughs as he wedges multiple pickleballs through the spokes of his wheelchair.  “I can load up my wheels with 16, 20 pickleballs and just practice my serves over and over again. Reload, roll over, and go at it again!”

To him, the group has given him so much more than a good workout.

“It’s just become a blessed part of who I am,” says Krantz.  “Being in a dark place, feeling alone, coming out of the military, it was one of the first groups to bring me in, to bring me that family, that camaraderie.”

For Mick Tingstrom, MACS Pickleball Director and Army veteran himself, it’s the perfect environment for those who’ve served. 

“You’re trying to find your purpose: what am I supposed to be doing now when I take this uniform off?  Many of us have seen things that most people shouldn’t see,” says Tingstrom.  “This feels like therapy, except fun!”

MACS averages 50 players per week; players with seen and unseen injuries. 

Thanks to generous donations, the group gets to play for no cost at Peak Pickleball. 

Active duty and retired military members are welcome to join MACS.

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Scott Harrison

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — Drivers now have some relief from the twists and narrow lanes they’ve endured during the ongoing construction project along 1.5 miles of I-25 between Fillmore Street and Garden of the Gods Road.

Two weeks ago, the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) opened the three rebuilt northbound lanes; they’re wider, straighter, and feature a wider shoulder and new guardrail.

An interesting aspect of the new lanes is that they come to within only a few feet of Sinton Road, a frontage road along the east side of that segment of I-25.

That raises the question of how CDOT will find room to build the acceleration and deceleration lanes that will be designed to reduce the traffic bottleneck in that area and improve traffic flow by giving drivers more time to merge onto and off of the freeway.

Patti Henschen, a CDOT engineer, said that the final alignment for those lanes has yet to be finalized.

“The auxiliary lanes won’t be available until the median work is complete and the lanes are put into their final configuration next summer,” she explained. “We’ll have all three lanes, the auxiliary lanes, and we’ll have one final overlay throughout the project.”

The southbound lanes will have more space to work around, as CDOT next improves those lanes to match the new northbound configuration.

Crews will also finish work on the median — ultimately building a concrete dividing wall — and make more drainage upgrades.

Another objective is to install more lighting to better illuminate the area at night.

“There are currently seven of the new overhead lights placed in the completed median,” Henschen said. “We do have temporary lights along the median or along the west side of the project. We’re expected to put up more temporary lights while we get the permanent lights coming.”

The project has already replaced the two bridges over Ellston Street and made significant drainage improvements.

Work on the $62 million project started in the fall of 2023 and is scheduled for completion late next summer.

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Celeste Springer

PARKER, Colo. (KRDO) — The bravery of four women has resulted in the conviction of a man accused of drugging and sexually assaulting them.

56-year-old David Kats of Parker, Colorado was found guilty 17 counts, which included 12 counts of sexual assault, the DA’s office says.

Prosecutors say his crimes were exposed through a popular Facebook group where local women discuss men they’re dating. The group first became popular for exposing cheaters, but it has since evolved to include warnings about abusive or dangerous men.

Through posts on the page, four survivors of Kats’ ultimately learned of their shared experiences; the district attorney’s office says each of them had met with Kats, but after being served drinks by him, blacked out and were sexually assaulted. The women then banded together and contacted the Parker Police Department.

“The bravery these women demonstrated by taking the stand and facing this predator cannot be overstated,” said Chief Deputy DA Danielle Jaramillo. “Because of their courage, David Kats will finally be held accountable for the harm he caused.”

According to prosecutors, Parker police searched Kats’ home and found “numerous substances used to incapacitate victims.”

The district attorney’s office says that during the trial, Kats claimed everything was consensual, but the court was shown text messages from victims confronting him about being drugged.

He is scheduled to be sentenced on April 23rd, and faces anything from probation to life in prison, the DA’s office says.

“Despite the nature of the predatory conduct and the 17 convictions, Colorado’s offender-friendly legislature makes these 17 offenses…wait for it…probation-eligible. Our hope is that the court takes a view of justice that sends a message to other sexual predators that prison is the only just outcome for behavior like this,” District Attorney George Brauchler said.

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Bradley Davis

PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) – The Pueblo zoo has rolled out new Electricritters displays this year as it surpasses 150,000 lights across its property.

All the light sculptures, many of them interactive, are built by the Pueblo Community College welding program.

Wednesday night is “adults only” night. It’s pretty much the same, but with spiked hot chocolate and 3-D glasses for the lights.

Electricritters is open each night from 5:30-8:30 p.m. through December 28, except for Christmas Eve and Christmas. The zoo closes the gates to new admissions at 8 p.m.

For non-zoo members, it’s $9.50 for adults and $7.50 for children on standard admission days. Wednesday’s “Adults Only” night is $20 and includes a drink ticket.

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Scott Harrison

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — Traffic was reduced from three lanes to one lane in each direction overnight Tuesday as crews continued working on the last of two traffic safety projects on Garden of the Gods Road (GOGR).

Similar closures are scheduled overnight Wednesday, between 8 p.m. and 5 a.m.

In the current phase, crews are building and installing new traffic signals on the road, two blocks east of Interstate 25, at the intersections of Northpark Drive and Mark Dabling Boulevard.

The overnight work follows the daytime work that has already begun.

Todd Frisbie, the city’s head traffic engineer, said that the existing signals that hang on wires will be replaced by lights on a mast arm, such as the arms currently in place at the nearby intersection of GOGR, Austin Bluffs Parkway, and Nevada Avenue.

“They’ll allow us to operate the signals a little differently and give us some flexibility on how we operate left turns,” he explained. “We could do time-of-day, protected-only left turns. That’s a safety measure. Also, some pedestrian enhancements are going on at those two intersections.”

One such enhancement is what Frisbie calls a “re-service” function.

“You know how you can get to an intersection, and you press the crossing button, but you’re too late?” he said. “With the re-service, if there’s time still in the cycle, you can come up, push the button, and you’ll get another walk signal to help you cross.”

Last week, crews completed the project’s first phase — building three left-turn medians on GOGR, west of I-25, several blocks between the freeway and Chestnut Street.

Two of the three turn medians direct traffic to the south side of GOGR, where many popular restaurants and other businesses are located.

The goal is to reduce crashes caused by dangerous left turns across the six lanes of traffic in both directions.

Under the new traffic alignment, drivers can no longer turn left onto the road when leaving business parking lots.

That project also required temporary lane shifts and closures.

Signs are posted to prohibit U-turns, but violations are common as westbound GOGR drivers turn around to reach In-N-Out, The Juicy Seafood, and other busy restaurants in the area.

The city acquired a Colorado Department of Transportation grant of nearly $2 million to fund the improvements, which should be finished by the end of the year.

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Bradley Davis

PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) – The free Grassroots Gravel Roadside Repair Basics class gathers support and outreach groups from all across the Steel City to get people out and riding.

Adam Davidson started the program as a way to help get more community members excited about biking ahead of the annual Pueblo Grassroots Gravel ride each October. Since its start, Davidson has partnered with the city, local bike experts and the Boys and Girls Club of Pueblo.

Grassroots Gravel has become a year-long program (really a “training plan”) for the Boys and Girls Club children. The kids commit to signing up for the race, then join the free classes throughout the year and get their bikes (and themselves) in riding shape.

“We have one specifically who’s really been a part of this outdoor programming, and to see him just really connect with biking, and see a sillier side of him that we normally never see, is just huge,” said Boys and Girls Club of Pueblo outdoor equity and education manager, Yenny Espinosa Niño.

The free class is open to everyone. It’s Tuesday, December 23, at the El Centro De Quinto Sol recreation Center. It’s from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Free registration is required.

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