Category: krdo-local-news

Celeste Springer

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — The Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) says they arrested a woman who was allegedly trying to enter homes by pretending to be an officer.

According to police, officers were called out on a burglary call in the 1400 block of Bowser Drive early Wednesday morning.

CSPD says the suspect, now identified as Adrianna Wallmueller, was posing as a police officer. The department says while she was not dressed as an officer, she was announcing herself as one to try and get people to open their doors.

Officers say they arrived and were able to arrest her. However, once in custody, police allege that she assaulted an officer.

The department says that the officer had minor injuries from Wallmueller. She was charged with impersonating a police officer and 2nd Degree Assault of a peace officer.

CSPD says that if someone approaches your door and you’re not sure if they are officers, you can call the non-emergency line to verify.

Click here to follow the original article.

Sadie Buggle

PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) – The 10th Judicial Critical Incident Response Team is investigating an overnight officer-involved shooting in Pueblo County that sent a deputy and two suspects to the hospital.

According to the Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO), at about 11:30 p.m. on June 24, deputies responded to a call made by an employee at the Loaf ‘N Jug at 31918 E. Highway 96, reporting a “suspicious vehicle.”

The employee told officials that a customer had reported being approached by the driver of a gold Ford Explorer and asked for money. When the customer told the man he didn’t have any money, the man said he was going to “rob the next customer who came to the store,” PCSO said.

The Loaf ‘N Jug is located approximately a mile east of the Pueblo city limits, near the Pueblo Airport, at the intersection of 32nd Lane.

When two deputies arrived on the scene and attempted to contact the occupants of the Explorer, the driver, trying to elude law enforcement, hit two of the patrol vehicles – injuring a deputy in the process.

According to PCSO, deputies responded by firing shots at the vehicle as it fled westbound on Highway 96 toward Pueblo.

The deputies pursued the car and conducted a Pursuit Intervention Technique (PIT) maneuver, causing the suspect’s vehicle to roll near Highway 96 and Victory Lane, the sheriff’s office said.

The 23-year-old driver and 42-year-old passenger of the Explorer were taken into custody. PCSO said deputies treated the driver, who had two gunshot wounds, until medical personnel arrived.

Both the driver and the passenger were transported to a local hospital to be treated for non-life-threatening injuries. The driver was later taken to a Colorado Springs hospital for further treatment. He will be arrested following his release, PCSO said.

Meanwhile, the deputy injured when his patrol car was hit by the suspect’s vehicle was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and has since been released, the sheriff’s office confirmed.

PCSO said that the Critical Incident Response Team, led by the Pueblo Police Department, is now investigating the incident.

The deputy involved in the shooting, who has not been named, was placed on paid administrative leave per the office’s standard operating procedure, PCSO confirmed.

“Our deputies responded to a dangerous and rapidly evolving situation with the goal of protecting thepublic,” said Pueblo County Sheriff David J. Lucero. “We’re grateful no lives were lost, and wecontinue to prioritize the safety of everyone in our community.”

The circumstances surrounding the officer-involved shooting are still being investigated; PCSO said more details will be released as they become available.

KRDO13 crews reported seeing a heavy law enforcement presence beside the gas station on 32nd Lane; the street was closed during the investigation, and evidence markers filled the middle of the street.

Authorities left the scene shortly before 7 a.m.; the store remained open for much of the overnight.

Steven Moore lives several blocks away from the scene and said that he didn’t hear gunfire, but says he’s not surprised the incident happened in his neighborhood.

“It’s getting a little too close,” he said. “Even the Sinclair convenience store next door has been robbed or vandalized a couple of different times.”

Click here to follow the original article.

Mackenzie Stafford

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – The Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) is searching for three people they say were involved in an assault early Tuesday morning. Two people are in custody after the fight.

CSPD said it happened near North Academy Boulevard, at The Commons apartment complex. The complex is where police say they got around ten 911 calls just before one o’clock in the morning. CSPD said two groups of people were causing multiple disturbances and hitting each other with kitchen pots and pans.

Homeward Pikes Peak, a non-profit, manages The Commons.

“Homeward Pikes Peak has been working here in the Colorado Springs community for 23 years, providing solutions to people who are experiencing homelessness and recovery services. So we do clinical, mental health and substance abuse treatment, street outreach, and supportive housing,” explained Roalstad.

Their CEO tells KRDO13 The Commons housing for people who have experienced homelessness or are at risk of becoming.

She says this was a one-off issue and that, to her knowledge, it’s the first time there’s been a police response such as Tuesday morning. 

“There was a disturbance at the apartment building that we call the Commons, which is a building that provides housing for people who have experienced homelessness or are at risk of housing instability. So we have families and veterans and individual adults who live there. And I understand that the disturbance last night was among a young group of teenagers and some young adults, and it kind of was protracted through the whole evening. It did escalate to the point that the police had to be called multiple times to address some fighting that was happening on the property,” explained Beth Roalstad, CEO of Homeward Pikes Peak.

KRDO13 also spoke with residents of the complex about their experience. Tasha VanDaam said she was in the parking lot looking for her keys when she saw the fighting happen.

“The kids that are in that apartment have been causing problems ever since they got here,” said resident Tasha VanDaam, “These boys were getting on these two girls last night. They hit them with frying pans. They hit them. They were just beating these girls up. And the girls ended up fighting back near the end. And then the girls ended up going to jail and not the boys.”

VanDaam told KRDO13 the fight was going on for hours outside of a room with a newborn baby inside. She said the injuries sustained looked serious.

“The girls got beat up. Yeah, they got knots on their head. Golf ball-sized knots, likely concussions,” recounted VanDaam.

The CEO told KRDO13 it appeared many of the individuals involved were teens, and some were visiting residents of the complex.

“Sometimes kids will be kids, but unfortunately, even violence among youth can get ugly. And I think that’s what happened last night is that it just kind of escalated to the point where many people were involved. And that’s why the police were called,” shared Beth Roalstad, CEO of Homeward Pikes Peak.

While it’s something she says doesn’t happen often, she is grateful for the quick response by law enforcement.

“I do want to commend the CSPD. They had a great response every time my staff member called it was responded to quickly. And certainly they did their job well. And I’m grateful that they came, each and every time,” said Roalstad.

Police say they’re searching for the rest of the people involved, particularly three suspects. They’ve already arrested two of the people they say were involved one of whom was a teen and one was an adult. 

While KRDO13 was outside the apartment complex later Tuesday afternoon, CSPD responded to a different incident that they say was not related to the assault. Police told our crews on scene that they were responding to a disturbance where someone was reported to have pulled out a gun, and that a fight broke out. As of Tuesday night, it was unclear if any arrests had been made. KRDO13 is working to get more information regarding the incident.

Click here to follow the original article.

Rob Namnoum

This week at the U.S. Senior Open, golfers have to remember before they putt, they will have to find the Will Rogers Shrine or else they’ll be in a bind, “I haven’t heard anything about it,” says Bo Van Pelt.

Ernie Els asked, “You’ve got to give me the info. Yeah, I hear it breaks somewhere.”

Every putt breaks away from the Will Rogers shrine. “If you tell me it’s breaking towards that, I would say no. There’s no way with the mountains and it’s going this way,” says Els.

Ryan Gioffre is aware, “I’m always aware of where the mountain and where the shrine is.”

Every time the golfers step on the green. They will need to search for the shrine, “When the bells were going off, my ball was going the other way. For sure it is. It’s definitely a thing here, for sure,” says Ted Purdy.

Oh yeah, It’s a thing, “But I need local knowledge wherever we go. We need local knowledge,” says Els.

I won’t be caddying this week, but my local knowledge may put a few bucks in my pocket, “Inside information. I didn’t know that I was going to get that in this interview,” says Van Pelt.

“If I win, I’ll be happy to share,” says Purdy.

So if you win, do I get a little cut? 

“Absolutely. Absolutely,” says Els.

Click here to follow the original article.

Emily Coffey

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – The Colorado Springs Police Department is working on reducing how long it takes for people in real emergencies to get the help they need.

Over the past two years, KRDO13 Investigates has highlighted two roadblocks to people in emergencies: pick-up times when people call 911, and how long it takes an officer to get on scene to a crisis.

Right now, it takes 13.5 seconds, on average, for a 911 caller to connect to a call-taker, and 11 minutes and 37 seconds for an officer to respond to a priority one call. Last year, it took 27 seconds on average for a person to get connected to a call-taker, and over 23 minutes on average for an officer to get to a priority one call.

Richard Suarez, the Coordinator for the Communications Department, says that dispatch being fully staffed is the reason call-takers can answer more quickly.

“It’s been a really concerted effort over the last few months to really keep our staff,” Suarez said.

The operations center also announced a new partnership with 988 Colorado for non-emergency mental health calls. If a caller is not threatening to hurt themselves or someone else, dispatchers will stay on the line with a call-taker so resources can be directed their way.

“It’s the little things. It’s pieces. Just a tool in our toolbox to reduce some of our volume,” Suarez said.

Another way Colorado Springs police are trying to increase efficiency is by adding a new online reporting tool for property crimes, scams, or other non-emergency crimes that do not require an officer to come out.

The tool, located on the city’s website, will allow people to make an online report, which is later validated by a police officer. The validated report will be reviewed and then sent back to the person who made it, so they can use it for insurance purposes or have records.

Deputy Chief Jeff Jensen says he thinks this tool will reduce the overall time each officer spends on lower-priority calls, so they can redirect efforts appropriately.

Click here to follow the original article.

Celeste Springer

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — The suburbs aren’t exactly where you expect to see a moose, and that’s exactly why Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) was called out to the Cottonwood Creek Park area on Tuesday.

Photo: Colorado Parks and Wildlife

Newly-released video shows CPW officers safely relocating a massive bull moose, which was right by rows of family homes.

CPW says the moose was about 650 pounds; video shows that it took about nine people to carry the moose into a truck after it had been sedated. CPW says the Colorado Springs Fire Department also came in to help.

CPW says the drugged-up moose was given something to wake them up after it was safely relocated in the southeast region.

Photo: Colorado Parks and Wildlife

Colorado has seen a string of moose attacks in recent weeks, though conversely, they involved female (also called “cow”) moose, unlike this situation with a male (also called “bull”) moose. CPW says cow moose attacks have been on the rise this season as they work to protect their calves. The agency encourages dog owners to keep their dogs leashed, as most attacks in Colorado involve dogs.

Photo: Colorado Parks and Wildlife

Click here to follow the original article.

Rob Namnoum

Editor’s note: Information below provided by officials with the Denver Broncos.

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — The Denver Broncos on Tuesday announced plans to host 13 free and open training camp practices for fans at their 2025 Training Camp Powered by Ford with capacity limited due to construction at Broncos Park Powered by CommonSpirit.

        To safely and comfortably accommodate fans with the construction of the team’s new training facility, capacity will be capped at approximately 800 fans for each of the 13 open practices expected to rank among the most of any team in the NFL. The fan-viewing location will be on the south end of the practice fields via temporary bleacher seating.

        Broncos season ticket members will have an opportunity to claim a limited allotment of tickets beginning Tuesday at 10 a.m. MT through their personal Ticketmaster accounts. The general public can claim tickets via Ticketmaster.com beginning Wednesday at 10 a.m. MT.

        All 13 open practices will require free mobile ticketing for entry with each fan being able to claim up to four free tickets. To ensure as many fans as possible can attend training camp, fans may reserve tickets for up to two practices and are encouraged to checkthe Broncos’ app, website and social media channels frequently for the most updated ticket availability.

        Practices will start at 10 a.m. (lasting approximately two hours in duration) with gates and parking lots opening at 8 a.m. The Broncos’ 2025 training camp schedule at Broncos Park Powered by CommonSpirit is highlighted by their first open practice on Friday, July 25; Back Together Weekend on Saturday, July 26

Click here to follow the original article.

Rob Namnoum

Professional golfers don’t have to retire from competitive golf.

“What do you do when you when you reach the age of 45 to 50? I mean, you have nowhere to go but this is this is great,” says Hall of Fame golfer, Vijay Singh.

The greats continue on the Champions tour.

“You know, when you hear other players retire in other sports, they say the one thing they miss is the camaraderie,” says Bo Van Pelt.

Singh adds, “Past the age of 45, you over the hill a little bit and but this is a you know, it’s a second life for a lot of a lot of players out here.”

Ernie Els adds, “We did our thing back in our heyday. Now we are old and we still want to play competitively.”

It’s a way for them to fulfill any competitive juices they have left.

“Well, I’m not sure how you know, I don’t like running. Yeah. You know, and I don’t think I’ll do that triathlon anytime soon. But yeah, I would have found something. But it’s so nice to have your first love, uh, at this age to still be able to compete and drive yourself crazy every now and again,” says Els.

Singh wonders, “You know, What do you do? I mean, unless you have a business or you have a, you know, golf course design, you know, company or something like that, I mean, you know, you’re not going to go back to a pro shop and start teaching golf. And, you know, and it’s given a lot of, uh, you know, how can I say a good living for a lot of players?”

A good living indeed, compared to when most of these players started out.

“So when you’re 22 and broke and  I’m a career million-dollar golfer, and multimillion-dollar golfers out here, there’s a lot less pressure. Yes, we’re not worried about eating tomorrow,” says Ted Purdy.

Their stomachs and pockets may be filled, but being able to compete fills their souls.

“You know, we’ve got our retirement set and all of that set and,  you know, we’re  pretty comfortable, but we still want to kind of beat each other,” says Els.

Van Pelt adds, “You realize we’re closer to the end than the beginning, because  I think that’s the one thing about athletes is like, you don’t ever turn that off and still get that scratch that edge of competitive juice.”

Singh says, “I’ve done it all my life. You know, why stop now right?”

Click here to follow the original article.

Bradley Davis

CRIPPLE CREEK, Colo. (KRDO) – In its 94th year, the Two Mile High Club said it is doubling the musical performances and adding an airplane flyover and free kid zone for the first time in the history of Donkey Derby Days.

The non-profit that has cared for the Cripple Creek Donkeys since 1931 said they are adding a second stage to the annual Donkey Derby Days festival. The flyover is scheduled for the start of the parade at 11 a.m. on Saturday. The kid zone with 13 bounce houses and a water feature typically costs money. The Two Mile High Club said this year, the city is sponsoring the attraction to make it free.

Donkey Derby Days have been a Cripple Creek staple for almost 100 years. Teams of three (two humans and one donkey) race about a half mile up Bennett Avenue right through downtown. One person leads the donkey by the reins. All three have to cross the finish line to count.

As of 6 a.m. on Tuesday, there are only three open race spots left, all in the trophy race on Saturday. You can watch the race for free and enjoy live music, street vendors and a front-row seat (if you’re early) to some classic donkey races.

The three-day festival starts Friday at 2 p.m. with a street fair exhibition show. The first race is 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, followed by more races on Sunday. You can find a full schedule of events here.

Click here to follow the original article.

Scott Harrison

TELLER COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) —The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) plans to start paving operations Wednesday on a 12-mile stretch of US 24, from just west of Woodland Park to just east of Florissant.

That has some drivers, who are already concerned about traffic congestion so far, wondering how much worse it could get — especially with the Fourth of July holiday weekend approaching.

The situation reached a head on Sunday, June 8, when dozens of drivers reported being stuck in a massive traffic backup in the eastbound lane between Divide and Florissant.

Drivers said that crossing the eight-mile stretch, which usually takes around ten minutes, took an hour or longer.

“I actually got stuck in that traffic,” said David Autrey, a volunteer firefighter in nearby Lake George, in Park County. ” It took me four-and-a-half hours to get from Woodland Park to Lake George. A normal 25- to 30-minute drive. It’s made it so that we don’t go down the mountain unless we have to.”

The affected segment of US 24 is winding and narrow, having only one lane in each direction, little roadside space to pull over, and no rest stops.

Drivers said that travel was particularly heavy that day, but they also wondered if construction cones along the route were a factor in the traffic congestion — even though crews don’t work on Sundays.

In fact, anticipating heavy weekend summer traffic, crews don’t work between noon on Fridays and 7 a.m. on Mondays.

Drivers also wonder if traffic signals at the US 24/Highway 67 intersection weren’t properly synchronized to move traffic efficiently.

A CDOT spokeswoman said that she was aware of some traffic backups, but didn’t say whether the agency plans to make any traffic changes in the area.

On Monday afternoon during rush hour, KRDO 13’s The Road Warrior drove along the affected stretch and found alternating lane closures in one area; a flagger directed traffic, and a pace car led drivers through in one direction at a time.

The traffic delay from the closures was no longer than ten minutes; a short time later, the closures ended for the day.

So far, the only visible changes from construction are a new center median and a repaved left turn lane for eastbound US 24 drivers at the Highway 67 intersection.

The $12 million project includes replacing guardrails to meet new safety standards and upgrading curbs and gutters.

Crews are scheduled to start repaving on Wednesday at the east end of the project, between Divide and Florissant; much of the work will be during daylight hours, with occasional overnight work.

“Is it worth it? Do we really need to pave this?” Autrey asked. “If they’re going to widen it, sure. But if all they’re doing is repaving it, not at all. The road’s OK. There are a few potholes that can be fixed, but nothing that calls for what they’re doing now.”

The Road Warrior spoke with several merchants in Divide who said that they’re aware of the recent traffic congestion but have experienced no negative impacts so far.

“That may change once the paving starts,” one merchant remarked.

Click here to follow the original article.