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LONGMONT -- The Boulder County Coroner's Office on Wednesday
confirmed that a father and child found shot to death on Aug. 7 in a Longmont home died in a murder-suicide.
The coroner's office determined 3-year-old Allyson Heydenburg died from gunshots to the head and chest and concluded
her manner of death was a homicide. David Heydenburg died of a gunshot wound to the head in a suicide.
Police suspected
the deaths were a murder-suicide from the outset of the investigation. The coroner verified investigators' beliefs with
the official ruling Wednesday.
According to police, David Heydenburg was upset over pending custody issues
and apparently shot and killed his daughter and then himself in his home at 1260 Red Mountain Drive. His wife and
her son called police when they arrived at the home to pick up the toddler after a weekend visit and found the house locked
up and could not reach David Heydenburg on his cellphone. Police officers who entered the house to check on the welfare of
the father and daughter discovered the bodies.
Investigators later learned that David Heydenburg had sent
a number of people letters that said he was dissatisfied with the circumstances of his marriage and pending custody of the
toddler.
Police found evidence that David Heydenburg had left his car running in the garage, likely in
an attempt to asphyxiate himself and the child. Blood toxicology results were not immediately available from the Boulder County
Coroner's Office on Wednesday, but Longmont Police Cmdr. Jeff Satur said the results revealed both carbon monoxide and
Ambien in David and Allyson Heydenburg's blood.
Child Abuse Cases in Colorado The Department of Human Services recently released the 2009 report
on child abuse and neglect. In 2008, the state investigated nearly 40,000 cases of child abuse and neglect. The
state of Colorado confirmed 10,698 cases of child abuse in 2008, with nearly 60 percent of all children living in the Denver
Metro Area. Last year in Colorado, 32 children died from child abuse. Comparing child abuse deaths in 2008 to
previous years, the number rose slightly from the past few years, with 27 in 2007, 24 in 2006, 20 in 2005, 35 in 2004 and
27 in 2003.According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, in 2003, approximately 906,000 children were victims
and an estimated 1,500 children died of abuse or neglect. Locally, according to Colorado Association
of Family and Children's Agencies (CAFCA), children in Colorado desperately need protection and care. Recently released
statistics from 2005 include: - In 2005, apporoximately 30,000 children were reported abused
or neglected and referred for investigation in Colorado.
- Out of that number, nearly 9,000 cases
were substantiated or indicated as abused. Twenty-one percent suffered physical abuse, 46.6% neglect, 1.4% medical neglect,
11.5% sexual abuse, 5% psychological maltreatment and 18% other or unknown.
- Boys and girls are equally
likely to be abused or neglected.
- Approximately 80% of child abuse is perpetrated by a parent or
caregiver.
- An average of 20 children in Colorado die from suspected abuse or neglect every year.
- Children under the age of 4 account for 75% of all child abuse deaths.
- Neglect
occurs more frequently than abuse and can be equally damaging and deadly. 30% of all child fatalities are due to neglect.
- 11,927 children spent some portion of 2005 in substitute (foster) care .
- Approximately
1,500 abused and neglected children receive intensive, rehabilitative mential health services in residential programs.
- The majority of children in residential care have been victims of significant physical or sexual abuse.
Lafayette
father accused of shaking infant charged with child abuse resulting in deathBy Vanessa Miller, Camera staff writer Posted: 11/02/2010
12:18:28 PM MDT
A 21-year-old Lafayette father arrested last
week on suspicion of shaking, squeezing and throwing his infant son was charged Tuesday in a Boulder County Jail courtroom
with knowing or reckless child abuse resulting in death. The charge is a class 2 felony punishable by up to 48 years
in prison. The Boulder County District Attorney's Office also charged Joaquin Campos with misdemeanor child abuse
and harassment charges related to a previous domestic violence incident that was reported by his common-law wife, Angela Pickering.
Campos, who appeared in court wearing an orange- and white-striped jumpsuit and rimmed glasses, is being held at the
jail on $500,000 bond. Lafayette police started investigating Campos on Oct. 18 after responding to a 911 call at
his 1927 Lydia Drive home about 7:22 a.m. Campos told investigators that he had tripped and fallen down four steps while holding
his 10-week-old son "football-style" on his forearm, according to an arrest report. Campos told police
that he squeezed his son, Lyon Campos, as they were falling, and when they landed, Lyon's head struck the basement floor
and his leg became caught between Joaquin's elbow and the stairs. Lyon was taken to Exempla Good Samaritan Medical Center
in Lafayette, where doctors conducted scans and checked the infant's extremities before sending him home, according to
the report. Doctors told Campos that Lyon "should be fine," investigators reported. That evening,
Campos told detectives, the infant suddenly got a "help me" look on his face like he couldn't breathe. Campos
and one of his roommates called 911 and attempted CPR. At Exempla, doctors determined Lyon had a punctured lung and
split lip, and he was airlifted to Children's Hospital, where he was found to have a bruised tongue, knee abrasions, a
broken femur and tibia, brain swelling and a skull fracture, the report said. During an interview with detectives,
Campos said that when he noticed Lyon was not breathing, he tried chest compressions and, while squeezing him, shook him back
and forth. "He said Lyon's head was not supported and it flopped around," according to the report. Campos
also told investigators that he threw Lyon in the air twice above his head after he stopped breathing, the report said. Lyon
died at 10:09 p.m. Oct. 20. At 10:36 p.m., Campos wrote on his Facebook page, "I wish my son would come back to me and
his mommy." About 10 minutes later, he wrote, "I really want my son back." When officers came to Campos'
home Thursday, he became combative and fought investigators, according to the arrest report.
Denver
dad guilty of child abuseBy The Denver
Post Posted: 08/19/2010 04:21:39 PM MDT Updated: 08/20/2010 06:06:14 AM MDT John Allen, 36, was found guilty by a Denver jury Thursday of whipping
his then-15-year-old son with an extension cord and forcing him to drink water spiked with bleach and soap in December 2008. Allen
will be sentenced Sept. 30 on the convictions for child abuse resulting in serious bodily injury and child abuse. Allen
has a separate pending child abuse case involving victims who were 8 and 7 years old at the time of the alleged incident. He
is awaiting sentencing in the Denver Detention Center, where he has been held since his arrest on a $20,000 bond. Allen
has been arrested several times on child abuse or similar charges. In 1999 he was pleaded guilty to a harassment charge after
he was initially charged with sex assault on a child, records show.
Dad gets 25 years for blow to
head that left boy brain damaged
March 29, 2010 2:25 PM
JOHN C. ENSSLIN
Michael Anthony Douglas won’t get his wish of being there when his son scrapes a knee or meets his first girlfriend.
That’s
because a judge today sentenced the 25-year-old Colorado Springs man to 25 years in prison for inflicting a blow to the head
that left his now 2-year-old son Jesse with irreversible brain damage.
Fourth Judicial District Judge Gilbert A. Martinez imposed the sentence on Douglas whom a jury convicted in January of child abuse but acquitted on an attempted-murder charge in the Oct. 10, 2007, incident.
Douglas hit his then 21-day-old son hard enough to fracture the boy’s skull. The youngster – who ran outside the courtroom
shouting hello to lawyers – looks like a normal 2-year-old boy, said Deputy District Attorney Donna Billek.
But if anyone talks to the youngster they’ll quickly discover he has a vocabulary of about 12 words and
will have profound speech, hearing and learning disabilities for the rest of his life.
Billek said that for 16 hours
after hitting his son, Douglas did nothing to get help.
“At no point did he accept responsibility until well into that night,” she
told Martinez.
Krystal Denton, the boy’s mother, asked the judge to impose a sentence that would enable Douglas to still be a father to their two sons.
However, Ronda Denton, the boy’s grandmother who now has custody of Jesse and his younger brother, asked Martinez to impose the maximum 32-year-sentence.
“We as parents are supposed to keep our children safe from harm, to love them, feed them and protect them,”
she said. “Michael did none of these things for Jesse.”
Douglas apologized for his actions and pleaded with the judge to allow him to be there for the important moments in his sons’
lives.
“Please don’t take them away from me forever,” he said, squeezing a tissue in his handcuffed
fist. “I love them too much.”
Martinez said he felt the maximum sentence was not called for, noting
that the injury resulted from a single blow to the head.
But he rejected Douglas’ plea for a lighter sentence.
“That’s what happens when you hit a 21-day-old on the side of the head,” the judge said.
Man tells police he killed wife in front of childBy
The Associated PressPublished: Tuesday, March
16, 2010 5:20 PM MDT
GRAND JUNCTION | Grand Junction police say a 24-year-old man killed his wife by stabbing
her several times in the neck in front of their 2-year-old daughter.
Police say Octavio Vargas-Herrera told detectives
he killed his wife Sunday evening after she told him she didn't love him anymore. Police say Vargas-Herrera's brother,
Luis Vargas, found the body of 23-year-old Jeana Ann Vargas at her home.
Grand Junction Police say Vargas told
police his brother dropped of his daughter at their mother's home Sunday night but didn't come into the house. Vargas
says his brother told him he had killed his wife and that he was going to kill himself.
Vargas-Herrera later surrendered
to police. He made his first appearance in court Monday and faces a first-degree murder charge.
Ex-NORAD petty officer pleads guilty to killing
infant son
February 22, 2010 11:55 AM
JOHN C. ENSSLIN
A Navy petty officer formerly based
at NORAD pleaded guilty today to child abuse resulting in the death of his 53-day-old son.
Bryan
Page Dingman, 25, faces 30 to 40 years in prison when 4th Judicial District Judge Gilbert Martinez sentences him on May 3.
The plea came one week before Dingman was to stand trial on first-degree murder charges and child abuse in the January 2009
death of his son Enzo.
“I was rough with him. I slapped him on the back of his head,”
Dingman told the judge. The blow to the head followed an incident a few days earlier in which the child rolled off a couch.
“I knew that something was wrong with him,” Dingman said of the earlier incident. “I should’ve
taken him to the hospital …. Because of that, my son lost his life.”
Dingman also pleaded guilty to
committing a crime of violence. If he had gone to trial and been found guilty of first-degree murder, he could have faced
a mandatory sentence of life in prison. The normal range of punishment for what he pleaded guilty to is 16 to 48 years.
His son died Jan. 28, 2009, after being taken off a ventilator. He had suffered a brain hemorrhage.
Initially, Dingman told Colorado Springs police about the child falling off the couch at his apartment in the 3400
block of Vera Cruz Court.
Later, however, investigators said he admitted to throwing the child in a bassinet
after the boy vomited and head butted his father’s cheek on Jan. 26. He also admitted to slapping the
boy on the head three times later that day, police said.
The evidence against Dingman included
a series of text messages he exchanged with his wife, who at the time was stationed with the Navy in San Diego.
As part of his plea, Dingman also admitted violating the terms of a deferred sentence he had received on an
earlier charge of carrying a concealed weapon without a permit. The charge stemmed from an incident in July 2008
in which he allegedly fired a .40-caliber pistol into the ground to scare off some men from the parking lot of his apartment.
DAD ARRESTED IN ALLEGED CHILD ABUSEDenver Daily
News staff reportMonday, March 15, 2010 | |
DAD ARRESTED IN ALLEGED CHILD ABUSE: A father was arrested in Jefferson County for allegedly abusing his six-week-old
daughter. Anton Bogachov, 23, was taken into custody on Thursday after Children’s Hospital staff discovered that the
child had recently suffered a broken rib and head injuryŃfluid on the brain. The child was in Children’s
Hospital after throwing up for two days and having a seizure. Jefferson County Sheriff’s investigators questioned the
parents and arrested Bogachov for child abuse resulting in serious bodily injury. He is being held in Jefferson County Jail
on a $25,000 bail. His next court appearance is March 18, 2010, at 10 a.m.
Johnson: Colorado's number of shame: 179 kids killed from abuse, neglect over
seven yearsBy
Bill Johnson
Denver Post Columnist Posted: 01/11/2010 01:00:00 AM MST
One-hundred
seventy-nine is the number of children in Colorado killed as a result of abuse and neglect between 2000 and 2007, according
to the Washington, D.C.-based Every Child Matters Education Fund. In fiscal year 2008-09, the state's 64 counties received about 76,000 reports of child abuse or neglect.
Of the 76,000 reports, one in three on average was investigated by the counties. And of those,
about 22 percent resulted in the county providing child-care services. Colorado's child-welfare
system is in crisis, Shari Shink, founder and executive director of the Rocky Mountain Children's Law Center, told me
over sandwiches. Still more abused and neglected kids are fated to fall through the ever-widening cracks of the system, underfunded
for years, and with new rounds of cuts coming this legislative session. Only 46 percent of the state's foster children graduate high school on average. For everyone else, the
number is 86 percent. One in five is homeless. Twenty-five percent were in prison within
two years of leaving the foster-care system. Girls in foster homes are six times more likely to have a child before age 21.
Jordan McCurdy, 19, who spent 12 years bouncing from foster homes.
He
estimates he spent time in 15 homes from age 7, when he was pulled from his home after a teacher noticed a big welt on his
face from a beating, to age 16. "That's a lot of places," he said, "but
what does that tell you about the system?" Things got so bad at one point, he lived
on buses for six months, used convenience stores to wash up. He now has his own place and will finally graduate high school
in May. It happened only because someone stepped in and mentored him, he said. "I now feel like a productive young man," McCurdy said, before adding, "I feel like I'm
going to cry now."
Please
Help the Children of Colorado so they too can enjoy beautiful music and enjoy the beautiful land.
KERSEY
— A Kersey man accused of hitting his 12-year-old son so hard he broke his nose, and who was also charged with assaulting
his wife, a daughter and traumatizing two other children, has been released from jail on $3,500 bond.
Duane David
Mix, 39, was arrested Sunday afternoon after his children ran to a neighbor's house — a Weld County Sheriff's
Office deputy — and Kersey police went to the Mix home to question him.
Kersey Police Chief Pat Carey said
Thursday he isn't happy about the $3,500 bond for Mix. “It seems like a very low bond for those kind of charges,”
Carey said.
The bond was set by Judge Michelle Meyer. Phone messages left at her office Thursday were not returned,
although clerks said the judge was in court all day.
The 12-year-old boy was bleeding badly, according to court
affidavits, and sustained a possible broken nose, black eye, and cuts to his mouth. Mix's wife had scratch marks on her
face, allegedly from when she tried to stop Mix from beating the boy, according to records.
When Kersey police
officer Steve Hawkins arrived at the deputy's house, he found “a great deal of blood on the concrete.”
According to the boy and his mother, the parents got into an argument about the 12-year-old boy, and when the boy
tried to speak, Mix told him to “shut up.” The boy continued to speak, and Mix allegedly pushed a table against
the boy, pinning him to a wall, then punched him in the face with his fist.
The mother said she grabbed Mix by
the hair to try to stop his attack on the boy, and Mix pushed her to the floor. He also threw their daughter to the floor
when she tried to intervene. While that was happening, the boy escaped and ran to the deputy's house.
When
Hawkins questioned Mix, he admitted to “slapping” the boy because he was talking back to him.
In the
court affidavit, Hawkins stated he told Mix, “It was more than a slap, because it looked like (the son's) nose was
broken and his lips were split wide open, and he had a black eye. The defendant (Mix) at this point just shrugged his shoulders.”
According to the court record, Mix also admitted to pushing his wife and daughter to the floor, but said he was “just
defending himself.”
Other children in the house, whose ages not listed in the affidavit, were too traumatized
to speak about the incident.
Mix was booked into the Weld County Jail on four counts of child abuse, third-degree
assault against his wife, and harassment charges.
The 12-year-old was taken to North Colorado Medical Center where
he was treated and released.
Mix spent one day in jail and was released the next day on bond, arranged through
a bail bonds office. Meyer also placed a restraining order against Mix to stay away from his family and children.
Man charged with first-degree murder, child abuse in death of girlfriend's son in DenverBy Associated Press 4:02 PM MST, January 6, 2010 DENVER (AP) — Denver prosecutors have filed a first-degree murder charge against a man
accused of injuring his girlfriend's 18-month-old son so badly that the child died.
Thirty-one-year-old Jacob
Garcia also is charged with child abuse resulting in death. He was being held without bond Wednesday, and it was unknown if
he had hired a lawyer.
Police were called to a home Dec. 29 on a report of a child not breathing.
Denver
Health Medical Center doctors say the toddler suffered "subdural bleeding in the brain" and had bruises on his body,
according to a probable cause statement in the case.
Denver man charged with murder for infant
son's deathKDVR Denver 2:54
PM MST, December 24, 2009
DENVER - Prosecutors have filed formal charges against the father and mother of 3-week-old
boy who died earlier this month.
Travis Anderson, 26, faces a charge of first-degree murder and two counts of child
abuse resulting in death. Crystal Eccleston, 27, is charged with child abuse resulting in death.
Prosecutors alleged
Travis Anderson severely beat his 3-week-old, Sean, who was brought to Children's Hospital on Dec. 15th. He passed away
on Dec. 19th.
Prosecutors say Eccleston contributed to the baby's death through her failure to seek care for
the child.
Both parents were being held at the Denver County Jail on $500,000 bond each.
Denver
couple pleads not guilty in death of child found in trash bag
Associated Press
10/30/09 9:00 PM EDT
DENVER — A woman and her boyfriend pleaded not guilty to charges of first-degree murder and child
abuse in the death of the woman's 3-year-old daughter, who was found in a trash bag. Miriam
Gallegos and Angel Ray Montoya entered their pleas Friday. Prosecutors say Montoya killed
the child while Gallegos was at work then the couple conspired to cover the crime by disposing of the body in a ravine in
September 2007. The couple told authorities the girl was missing. Authorities
say the child died of asphyxiation. Montoya faces charges of first-degree murder and child
abuse resulting in death, while Gallegos faces charges of accessory to a crime and child abuse resulting in death. Amber Alert continues for Denver City childPosted: Oct 19, 2009 8:44 AM EDT LUBBOCK,
TX (KCBD) - The search continues for a missing Denver City boy after his mother was killed on Thursday. Investigators say 3-year-old Mitchell Romero was last seen with his father 34-year-old Mario Romero. He is
charged with the murder of his wife, 29-year-old Veronica Romero. Authorities believe
Mitchell is in immediate danger. He was last seen riding in a maroon 2004 Yukon, with Texas plates: 43W-FX6. If you have seen them, please call Denver City Police at 806-592-3516.
Murder charge expected for father in child abuse case
Oct 2009
By Pierrette J. Shields
©
2009 Longmont Times-Call BOULDER — Prosecutors are
expected to file a murder charge Thursday morning against a 26-year-old Lafayette man suspected of causing the injuries that
led to his 4-month-old son's death earlier this month. Benjamin Koller was arrested in July on suspicion of child abuse
resulting in serious bodily injury shortly after his badly injured infant, Jack Sebastian Koller, was hospitalized. Because
the baby died since his arrest, court records show charges of first-degree murder and child abuse resulting in death are expected
to be filed during a scheduled hearing Thursday morning.
He was born May 27 and hospitalized
July 21. The baby suffered bite marks to his left leg and both arms, bruises on his head, retinal bleeding, a skull fracture,
a torn frenulum and a bruise behind his ear consistent with being grabbed by the ear, according to Benjamin Koller's arrest
warrant affidavit. Doctors told investigators that fluid had to be drained from the baby’s brain. Prosecutors
delayed filing charges against Benjamin Koller because the baby was expected to die from his injuries. According to
Benjamin Koller's arrest warrant affidavit, Koller told investigators that he dropped the baby several times, would bite
and shake him to get a reaction when he was unresponsive, and had held his hand over the baby’s mouth until he changed
color to stifle his cries. Jack Koller's condition unexpectedly improved after his hospitalization despite predictions
that he would die and he was released Aug. 10 to his maternal grandparents. However, his condition again deteriorated and
he was readmitted to the hospital, according to prosecutors. Benjamin Koller is being held at the Boulder County Jail
on a $1 million bond.
Benjamin Koller was arrested in July on suspicion of child abuse resulting in serious
bodily injury shortly after his badly injured infant, Jack Sebastian Koller, was hospitalized. Because the baby died since
his arrest, court records show charges of first-degree murder and child abuse resulting in death are expected to be filed
during a scheduled hearing Thursday morning.
He was born May 27 and hospitalized
July 21. The baby suffered bite marks to his left leg and both arms, bruises on his head, retinal bleeding, a skull fracture,
a torn frenulum and a bruise behind his ear consistent with being grabbed by the ear, according to Benjamin Koller's arrest
warrant affidavit. Doctors told investigators that fluid had to be drained from the baby’s brain. Prosecutors
delayed filing charges against Benjamin Koller because the baby was expected to die from his injuries. According to
Benjamin Koller's arrest warrant affidavit, Koller told investigators that he dropped the baby several times, would bite
and shake him to get a reaction when he was unresponsive, and had held his hand over the baby’s mouth until he changed
color to stifle his cries. Jack Koller's condition unexpectedly improved after his hospitalization despite predictions
that he would die and he was released Aug. 10 to his maternal grandparents. However, his condition again deteriorated and
he was readmitted to the hospital, according to prosecutors. Benjamin Koller is being held at the Boulder County Jail
on a $1 million bond.
Arvada
father charged with child abuse in infant's deathThe
Denver Post Posted: 08/26/2009 01:00:00 AM MDT Updated: 08/26/2009 01:50:48 AM MDT
The
father of a 2-month-old boy has been charged with child abuse resulting in death after the child died from head injuries,
the Arvada Police Department said Tuesday. The suspect is identified as Brandon Vaughn Yancey
Jr., who was arrested Saturday. According to a 15-page arrest warrant affidavit for Yancey, the child had: • Ruptured blood vessels in the area between the skull and brain. •
Bruising of the brain; both new and old rib fractures. • Bruising on the left and
right side of the head, both sides of the chest and on the buttocks. Police were called
to the 8100 block of Estes Court in Arvada on Aug. 10 after receiving a call that a child in the Yancey home was not breathing.
Based on a subsequent investigation and an autopsy conducted by the Jefferson County coroner's office, authorities believe
the child died from "abusive head trauma."
Infant in Lafayette child abuse case clings to lifePrevious arrest report shows father has history of showing his ‘temper’Tuesday, July 28,
2009 BOULDER, Colo. — A 2-month-old
infant who police say was shaken, smothered and bitten by his 26-year-old father is clinging to life at
Children’s Hospital, and detectives are continuing to build their case of abuse against Benjamin Koller. Koller, of Lafayette, is being held in lieu of a $1 million bond at the Boulder County Jail and is scheduled
to be charged Friday with felony child abuse resulting in serious bodily injury. Boulder County District Attorney Stan Garnett
said those charges could change if the baby, Jack Koller, dies. “On Friday, we will
make a decision about what charges are appropriate at that time,” Garnett said. “We are monitoring (Jack’s
condition) very closely.” Jack remained in critical condition at Children’s
Hospital in Aurora on Tuesday. Koller and his common-law wife, Jennifer Schmidt, 20, brought
their baby son to Avista Hospital in Louisville on July 21 with a skull fracture, multiple bruises and bite marks, according
to an arrest affidavit. Jack wasn’t responsive and was transported to Children’s Hospital, where doctors told
police that Jack has “considerable widespread brain damage.” Doctors said that
if the child lives, he “may never walk, talk or be able to feed himself,” according to the affidavit. Detectives are talking with Schmidt, and Garnett said they haven’t decided whether to arrest her in
connection with her son’s injuries. Legal analyst Scott Robinson said that in cases
when an infant is clinging to life and the parents might be charged, authorities can bring in an outside child advocate to
make important decisions regarding the child’s health and future. “But that
would require some kind of emergency hearing to appoint a guardian,” Robinson said. “You can’t strip parents
of their rights because they are accused of something.” Boulder County prosecutor
Colette Cribari, who has handled numerous child-abuse cases for the office, said that if injuries are inflicted over a period
of time — like in the Koller case — chances are greater that both parents will face charges. “It depends on how much (Schmidt) knew,” Cribari said. Koller
says on social-networking Web sites that he’s a student at
Boulder’s Naropa University. He’s worked at Blackjack Pizza in Boulder and the University of Colorado’s dining services,
according to CU and Boulder police reports. In August 2006, after working an evening shift
at Blackjack and then drinking margaritas at a friend’s house, police said, Koller walked through the Wendy’s
drive-through on 28th Street in Boulder about 1 a.m. and broke several windows when workers refused to serve him. An employee told Koller that they didn’t serve “walk-ups” and they were closed. But, the
police report said, he refused to leave and broke the drive-through window and other windows. He was arrested and later pleaded
guilty to criminal mischief. Koller was quoted in the arrest report as saying, “I
was upset and I made a bad decision.” He admitted to doing more damage than he thought “because of his temper,”
the report said. In September 2007, Koller was arrested again after his new employer, CU
dining services, ran a standard background check. During the background check, officers discovered that Koller had a warrant
out for his arrest. It was unclear Tuesday what that warrant alleged and whether it was related to his 2006 case. While arresting Koller in 2007, officers asked if he had any drugs on him. Koller said he didn’t, but
police reported finding marijuana in his backpack. Koller was ticketed for possession of marijuana. Boulder
County sheriff’s Cmdr. Bruce Haas said Koller is being held in the regular intake portion of the jail. Authorities will
monitor Koller to see if he needs special accommodations. “Oftentimes, people who
get media attention ask for that,” Haas said. Sirian Phillips, 24, said he attended
Naropa with Koller. “He seeks love and compassion and good relations with people,”
Phillips said. “He was a well-intentioned, kind-hearted, peaceful person.”
denver and the west Hearings
in Aarone's death start today in CentennialThe
Denver Post Posted: 06/16/2009 01:00:00 AM MDT Updated: 06/16/2009 01:13:45 AM MDT
 The body of Aarone Thompson has never been found.
Court
hearings are scheduled to begin today for a man accused in the death of his young daughter. The motions hearings for
Aaron Thompson will be in Arapahoe County District Court in Centennial. Thompson was originally scheduled to stand trial this
week, but the trial was pushed back to Aug. 3. Authorities say Thompson is responsible for the death of his daughter,
Aarone, who would have been 6 years old when Thompson reported her missing in 2005. The girl's body has not been
found. Aurora police have said the girl might have been killed up to 18 months before Thompson reported her missing. Among
the charges against him are child abuse resulting in death; conspiracy to commit child abuse; accessory to a crime; false
reporting to authorities; abuse of a corpse; concealing a death; and multiple counts of child abuse resulting in injury.
5/7/2009
Man gets 16 years in child abuse case Rachel Alexander
The Daily Record A man was sentenced to 16 years in the Department of Corrections Wednesday after pleading guilty to child
abuse causing serious bodily injury. Jeromy Pirraglia, 32, pleaded
guilty Feb. 25 to the crime, which, in 2007, left the 2-year-old son of his girlfriend with severe brain damage. Several people told District Court Judge David Thorson about the effects the incident had on the child, his
brother who was the only witness to the crime and the entire family. Lynn
Bacon Applegate became the foster mother to the injured child 17 months ago after he was released from the hospital. In order
to save his life, doctors had removed a hemisphere of his brain shortly after the incident. Applegate testified that the child now is legally blind, still has difficulty controlling the right side of
his body, has no pre-trauma memory and has lost the language center of his brain. However, he is now able to walk on his own
and is learning to speak. The boy turned 4 last Friday. “Where
he came from and to where he is now is nothing short of miraculous,” Applegate said. “My concern is that (the
boy) has a life sentence and so does his mother.” The
child’s mother, Monica Ellison, also testified about the effects of the incident on her family. “The reality is he is going to have this for the rest of his life,” she said. “He will never
be the child he was. There is no certainty of how he will grow up and who he will be.” She also said that the boy’s older brother now is afraid of men, and the word “daddy” scares
him. “Our family, for the rest of our lives, is changed
by this,” she said. “This will never be enough. At least this can give us some peace and some sense of justice.”
District Attorney Thom LeDoux said this type of crime is one
of the most difficult to prove, when the only witnesses or victims are too young or too injured to give clear testimony about
what took place. “This has been an extremely difficult
case to handle,” he said. “This is the only case that has brought me to tears.” Pirraglia’s defense attorney, Maggie Rosa, stated that her client was a “gentle giant.”
“I don’t know what happened there that day,”
she said. “I know that Mr. Pirraglia is not a monster.” Pirraglia
told the judge he would not have hurt the child intentionally. He claimed he had a seizure that day with the child. “I was more worried about him than myself,” Pirraglia said. “Anything I say today can’t
change anything. I feel like I could have prevented this accident.” Thorson
accepted the plea agreement and the stipulated sentence, but said it is extremely lenient. “I don’t believe for a minute that this was an accident,” Thorson said. “I don’t
believe for a minute your most recent explanations. This is a lenient plea agreement compared to the sentence you would have
gotten if you were convicted. You can’t cause more damage to a more helpless human being without it amounting to murder.”
Pirraglia was given 503 days of pre-sentence confinement credit.
Also Thursday, Thorson sentenced Joseph Dean Hamilton, 43, to
2 years to life in DOC. He had pleaded guilty to one count of Internet luring of a child Feb. 11. Hamilton had been charged as part of an Internet Crimes Against Children investigation. One count each of
enticement of a child, solicitation to commit sexual assault on a child by a person in a position of trust, conspiracy to
commit sexual assault on a child by a person in a position of trust, attempted sexual assault on a child, sexual exploitation
of children and sexual exploitation of a child will be dismissed as part of the agreement.
Ex-Palisade
cop convicted of child abuse
By LE ROY STANDISH/The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel
Wednesday, April 01, 2009 Former Palisade police officer Patrick Lee Casey was found guilty Wednesday by a jury of 27 counts of child
abuse. Casey, 51, could be sentenced to 90 years to life in prison when he returns
to court June 5. The case was given to the jury
for deliberation late Tuesday. By 10 a.m. Wednesday the jury had reached its conclusion. After
Casey’s conviction, in Judge Valerie Robison’s courtroom, his wife sat in the hallway, sobbing. Casey was convicted of molesting two foster children that were living in his home. The two girls, who were
ages 3 and 4 when the abuse started, were repeatedly abused from 1997 to 2008. Only
after the girls were away from Casey did they begin speaking about the abuse they were subjected to in the Casey household,
Palisade Police Chief Carroll Quarles said. Quarles was hired as chief of the
Palisade Police Department in 1995. Casey started working part-time for the department in 1988 and went full-time with the
department in 1994. Quarles said he first learned of the allegations against Casey
in January 2008. “It is very disturbing to me,” Quarles said. “I
think that everything that I have been taught and trained for over the years in terms of child abuse and sex assault have
come true here, because they always say it is those you least expect. And I would have never have suspected this man of being
involved in anything like that.” While one of the girls contacted the Fruita
police, the other contacted the Mesa County Sheriff’s Department, which took the lead in the investigation. Jeremy Savage, an assistant district attorney with the Mesa County District Attorney’s Office, said
he was satisfied with the verdict. “We are very pleased with the outcome
of this,” Savage said. “We believe justice was served on this case.”
Publish Date: 2/26/2009 Cañon City man, 32, pleads guilty to child abuse
Pirraglia
accused of causing serious injuries to a 2-year-old boy Rachel Alexander
The Daily Record A man accused of causing serious injury to a 2-year-old
boy pleaded guilty Wednesday. Jeromy Pirraglia, 32, pleaded guilty to knowingly and recklessly
causing serious bodily injury to a child. The plea agreement stipulates 16 years in the Department of Corrections followed
by five years of parole. Pirraglia had been scheduled for trial in mid-March. Had he been
convicted he would have faced up to 32 years in DOC, because the crime is considered “extraordinary risk.” The charge stems from an October 2007 incident that left the 2-year-old son of his live-in girlfriend with
a severe brain injury. That child’s brother, who was 4 at the time of the incident, was the only witness. Pirraglia and his girlfriend, Monica Ellison, were arrested in December 2007. Ellison was released later without
charges. On Oct. 17, 2007, emergency crews responded to a report that a 2-year-old boy
was not breathing. Ellison was reportedly at work while the boys were being watched by Pirraglia. Reports
indicate Pirraglia said the child collapsed and stopped breathing, but the 4-year-old told police Pirraglia “was mad”
and kicked his brother in the head. The child originally was taken to St. Thomas More Hospital, where he was diagnosed with
a skull fracture, then transported to Memorial Hospital in Colorado Springs for emergency surgery. During a preliminary hearing in September 2008, Dr. Paul Grabb, a pediatric
neurosurgeon who treated the boy, described his injuries. Grabb told the court the child
arrived at the hospital with bleeding and swelling in his brain. Grabb had to remove a portion of the child’s brain
to allow the brain to swell outward. Grabb compared
the injury to one suffered by a child who fell out of a two- or three-story window and hit his head on concrete below. He
said it could not have been self-inflicted or from simply falling down the stairs. The
injured boy and his brother were placed into foster care. Prior to the entry of the plea,
attorneys on both sides attempted to determine the competency of the injured child’s brother to testify at the trial.
District Judge David Thorson ordered a pre-sentence investigation report. Sentencing is
scheduled for April 8. Pirraglia remains in the Fremont County Jail.
Midyette guilty of lesser charge in infant's death02/17/2009 07:51:38 PM MST
Alex Midyette quickly wiped a few tears from his face after he was
found guilty of criminally negligent child abuse in the death of his 11-week-old son, Jason, by a Denver County
jury today. Midyette, 29, of Louisville could have been convicted of a more serious
charge of knowing and reckless child abuse resulting in death, which carries a prison term of 16 to 48 years. Midyette faces four to 16 years in prison when he is sentenced in the next couple of months.
He may also receive a probationary sentence. Jason's mother, Molly
Midyette, was sentenced last year to 16 years in prison after being convicted of a more serious felony of failing to get her
son medical attention. Defense lawyer Paul McCormick described his
client as "saddened" over the jury's decision. "We
would have been much happier with a not-guilty verdict," McCormick said. "It's a compromise." Jason Midyette had more than 30 broken bones and a skull fracture when he died on March
3, 2006. Alex Midyette's defense lawyers argued that the boy suffered from a metabolic
disease that weakened his bones. Prosecutors told jurors that Midyette was a frustrated
father who abused his son over the course of his short life, ultimately fracturing Jason's skull on a diaper changing
table. They also told jurors that Midyette failed to get medical care for his son as he
lay dying. Boulder County prosecutors Ken Kupfner and Colette Cribari declined to comment
on the verdict and said they would wait to make a statement until after Midyette is sentenced. Jurors
said they were split 9-3 on the more serious reckless and knowing child abuse charge because a few jurors believed that Jason
had a metabolic disease, and they refused to budge. But the jurors unanimously believed
that Midyette neglected to get his son to a doctor in time. Alex Midyette's case was
moved from Boulder to Denver because of a concern over pretrial publicity. The case garnered attention because Midyette
is the son of J. Nold Midyette, a prominent Boulder architect and commercial property owner. After
the verdict was read, Midyette took out his wallet and took off his necklace as sheriff's deputies put him in handcuffs.
Boulder County Judge Lael Montgomery doubled Midyette's bail to $1.5 million. Midyette
will remain in custody until he can post the amount. He and his parents did not make any
statements on their way out of the courtroom. McCormick says he plans to bring out his
client's positive attributes during sentencing and said Midyette conducted himself well during the trial. "We are grateful that the jury did not find him guilty on the major offense of inflicting injury,"
McCormick said. "It sounds like they faulted him for not getting to the hospital quick enough in his condition."
Jurors said they did not know until after the verdict about Molly Midyette's conviction
and sentence. Juror Justin Kaufmann said his fellow jurors were "shocked" that
Molly Midyette was in prison and assumed during deliberations that she was dead because they were not given any information
about her during the trial. Juror Angela Wainwright said she believes that Alex Midyette
should get the same amount of time in prison as his wife. "I think he definitely
deserves the same," Wainwright said. "I think they are both responsible."
Defend comments
WHERE IS THE JUSTICE++A BABY IS DEAD AND HE MIGHT GET PROBATION> THE MOTHER GETS $ TIMES THE SENTENCE THIS RICH MAN"S
SON GETS>
Lamar Roberts sentenced to 36 years in Zoe Garcia death
Posted
on Friday, January 16 @ 23:24:46 CST by admin
By Matt Lubich
The Johnstown Breeze
GREELEY -- The stories of two lives lived in chaos as the result of parental neglect
and substance abuse spun together in a tragic tableau Friday afternoon, as lawyers pled for leniency for a young man and asked
a Weld County Court judge to remember the life of a little girl cut short at his hands. Lamar
Roberts, 18, was sentenced to 36 years in prison by Judge Marcelo Kopcow for the December 2007 beating death of 7-year-old
Zoe Garcia. The sentence also carries a mandatory five years on parole when Roberts is released. Roberts
pled guilty last month to a charge of child abuse causing death. He showed little emotion during the two-hour hearing Friday
afternoon, but put his head against the wall when Kopcow announced the sentence. The judge could have sentenced him to anywhere
between as little as 16 years and as many as 48 years in the case. As he was led from
the courtroom by deputies, friends and family of Roberts called out to him, saying: “We love you Lamar” and “stay
strong.” He did not look back.
Just before midnight Dec. 6,
2007, police and fire department personnel responded to a home in the 500 block of Charlotte St. in Johnstown on
a 911 call regarding a report of a young girl not breathing. Garcia, a first-grader at Letford Elementary School, was taken
to North Colorado Medical Center in Greeley, where she was pronounced dead. An autopsy showed her right wrist was broken,
and there were “more than 20 bruises counted on the victim’s body” as well as other injuries. Cause of death
was attributed to “blunt force injuries.” Roberts and his 16-year-old girlfriend,
Heather Trujillo, were arrested and both charged as adults in the case. Roberts, from the Denver area, lived at the Charlotte
home with Trujillo and her family, which included Garcia, 3-year-old twin sisters, and the girls’ mother Dana Trujillo.
Heather Trujillo told police she and Roberts had been watching the girls and she had been
wrestling with Zoe. According to the arrest affidavit, Trujillo told police Roberts was present but not participating in the
wrestling; acting as “referee.” Police alleged, however, that in subsequent
conversations, Roberts told others he was wrestling with the girl as well, and that at one point he kicked her and she didn’t
get back up. He also admitted he had been drinking. Police also interviewed witnesses who said they had allegedly seen Roberts
hit the little girl on prior occasions. If he had gone to trial, Roberts would have also faced testimony that he bragged to
a friend that his hands were “lethal weapons.” At the sentencing hearing Friday,
friends and family of Roberts talked of a much different young man than the one who sat in front of them in the courtroom
shackled, wearing an orange jail jumpsuit, and headed to prison. They admitted Roberts
grew up in less than perfect circumstances -- his mother was an alcoholic and his brother died when Roberts was 11. They even
agreed that maybe he was living in Johnstown with Trujillo as a way to get away from that home life. But they also talked
about a young man who took care of his mother and others in the family. They told of the time he took blankets to neighbors
whose heat was off, how he gave away his new snow shoes to some kid down the block who only had tennis shoes, and how he once
wanted to sponsor a child in Africa “with my allowance.” And they talked of
a teen-ager who they said loved Zoe, and who was trying to take care of her and her sisters. A boy thrust into a man’s
role, using what money he could make to buy food for the family, and who often asked them for help to buy diapers. Robb Miller of the Weld County District Attorney’s Office told the judge none of this was an excuse
for “abusing a seven-year-old child to death.” Life for Zoe was much worse
than anything Roberts had experienced, Miller said. At seven, with the two teens basically parenting the younger children,
Zoe had already learned to smoke cigarettes and marijuana. A report released by the Colorado Department of Human Services
-- investigating Weld County Social Services which was in the Johnstown household where Zoe Garcia lived on several occasions
in the months prior to her death investigating reports of concerns of abuse -- detailed a “chaotic” and “dangerous”
living situation that Dana Trujillo had little control over or involvement in. “It’s
clear that Zoe’s short life was far more chaotic and neglectful than his was,” Miller said. “We’ve
heard this referred to as an accident, and it clearly wasn’t. It was brutal treatment of a seven-year-old that led to
her death. This went far beyond horseplay and poor judgment to brutality. “The focus
needs to be on Zoe Garcia,” Miller said. “I deserve what I get,” Roberts
said when asked by Judge Kopcow if he wanted to make a statement before sentencing. “I’m
truly sorry for what happened. I looked at Zoe like my little sister,” he said. “There are days when I sit in
jail and want to trade places with her. She had so much to live for, but I have a lot to live for too.” “Mr. Roberts did have potential and does have potential,” Judge Kopcow said before passing sentence.
“He didn’t have the environment many of us had when we were growing up. His life was in chaos and he didn’t
have the childhood he deserved. “But he is responsible for his actions, and must
pay the consequences of those actions. Zoe suffered a brutal, cruel and painful death.” Heather
Trujillo was sentenced in July to 18 years in prison for her part in the death, having made a deal that called for her to
plead guilty to a slightly lesser child abuse charge, and also agree to testify against Roberts at his trial. Kopcow, who also heard that case, suspended the prison sentence on the condition Trujillo successfully completes
six years in the Youthful Offender System in Pueblo. For more on this story, pick
up Thursday’s issue of The Johnstown Breeze.
Third Case Of Suspected
Child Abuse In Two Weeks
Updated: Feb 2, 2009 10:34 AM EST By Patti Moon
p.moon@krdo.com COLORADO SPRINGS - A one-month-old boy, Enzo Dingman, is in critical condition from suspected
child abuse. The boy is being treated for brain bleed at Memorial Hospital. Bryan Dingman,
24, is the father who was arrested for felony child abuse at 3414 Vera Cruz Court Monday afternoon. El
Paso County Department of Human Services officials say the problem of child abuse is growing and must be addressed. Shirley Rhodus is head of Child Protective Services for El Paso County. She says there are many parents who
just need some assistance. "We can help identify what the problems are, what the stressors
are," Rhodus said. "We can help provide pay for treatment to help parents recover." Rhodus
says one of the best resources for parents is KPC Kids' Place. She says the free day-care center is ideal for parents
who need a break. "A couple hours, it can even be a couple days, so they really do
provide emergency respite daycare," Rhodus said. El Paso County Human Services also
has a Child Abuse & Neglect Hotline. Rhodus says anyone should call or e-mail if they suspect a child is being abused
or neglected. The hotline's phone number is 444-5700. The e-mail address is childabusereport@elpasoco.com. For more information on KPC Kids' Place, click here.
Lakewood police officer was about to be arrested, say copsby Ginger Delgado | News2
- July 1, 2008
COMMERCE CITY (KWGN)
- A Lakewood cop who was found dead in a murder-suicide was about to be arrested for allegedly abusing
his three-month old daughter, according to Commerce City police. William O'Shell and his wife, Tiffany O'Shell, who
was a former Lakewood police officer, were found shot to death inside their home Monday night on the 11500 block of River
Run Parkway in Commerce City. Police say it was 6:15 p.m. on Monday when they first got the call about two people dead
inside the home. The call came from Tiffany's mother.
Tiffany O'Shell was hired by the Lakewod Police in 2006, but resigned a year later. O'Shell
was a Lakewood police officer hired in 2005 and assigned to the patrol division.
At a news conference in Commerce
City on Tuesday, police made a stunning announcement: William O'Shell was the prime suspect in a child abuse case involving
his own 3-month-old daughter. Sgt. Joe Sandoval told reporters, "The child suffered what we consider to be serious bodily
injury. It was nothing life threatening, but serious enough to where it involved fractures, breaks and things of that nature."
Sandoval says it was June 17th when the couple first brought the baby to a hospital. "Our investigators responded
directly to the hospital to start interviewing doctors and family members who were there to try to make their determination
about who had cared for the child, " he said.
The investigation focused on four people: William O'Shell,
Tiffany O'Shell and two relatives who had cared for the baby. But soon, everyone but William was ruled out as a suspect
and police say they were just about ready to make the arrest. "The case was being built. We were getting very close to
presenting the case to the D.A.'s office," said Sandoval.
Now, instead of a child abuse case, police are
investigating a murder-suicide, and they say until the autopsy is completed, they still don't know who killed who.
Police say the couple's baby is expected to make a full recovery from her injuries. She is now in a foster home
and in the custody of Adams County Social Services.
| Posted: 5:26 PM Feb 29, 2008
Last Updated: 7:12 PM Feb 29, 2008
Reporter: KKCO
| |
|
| A Grand Junction man is behind bars accused of sexually molesting his own daughter. NBC
11 News has chosen not to release the suspects name in order to protect the young victim in this case. According to
the Mesa County Sheriff's Office, when deputies when to arrest the man he ran from them and tried to commit suicide by
swallowing pills. An arrest affidavit shows the 42-year-old had been sexually molesting and raping his daughter since
she was seven years old. The most recent attack happened two weeks ago. The man is facing eight felony charges including
two counts of aggravated incest and one count sexual assault on a child by way of force. He's being held at the
Mesa County Jail on a $100,000 bond. He'll be back in court in early March for a formal filing of charges |
|
Father Arrested in Child Abuse of 2 Young Children
By For News Release questions, please contact our PIO
| On August 16th, the Colorado Springs Police Department was
notified by Memorial Hospital that a 4 month old baby boy had been transported to the hospital from the 6700 block of Dublin
Loop. It was determined that the baby had a subdural hematoma which would have occurred within the last day. In addition,
the baby had some other bruising on the front and back. The child was then transported to Denver Children’s Hospital.
At Children’s Hospital, it was determined that there appeared to be both
new and older subdurals in this child. They advised that this was non-accidental trauma. At this time, it was requested that
the other two children be transported to Children’s Hospital for a child abuse assessment. A 4 month old female that is a twin to the above child, along with a 17 month old male baby were evaluated
and it was determined that the older child was fine, however, the 4 month old female was found to have multiple fractures-in
excess of 20 that were to both arms, legs, and torso area. These fractures were all healing and could have occurred anywhere
from one to three weeks ago. The two twins are 4 months old and were born 6 weeks premature. The babies weigh approximately
7 lbs. at 4 months. Through the course of the investigation, an Arrest
Warrant was obtained for the father of the children. He has been identified as Bradley Jason Vincent, a 25 year old white
male. The Warrant charges him with 2 counts of Child Abuse, a class 3 Felony. The Arrest Warrant was signed this morning and
Bradley Vincent turned himself into the El Paso County Criminal Justice Center at approximately 3:00 p.m. this afternoon.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ |
January 20th, 2008
For a year, Lora Lee Hansen-Beard, 41, of Boulder, Colorado, would leave her eight-year-old daughter every Saturday
night with a 47-year-old man, Joseph Cardillo, 47.
If you read the story in the newspaper, you’ll see that Hanswen Beard was a complete and total nut. She is charged with two misdemeanor counts of child abuse
for placing the girl in a life- or health-threatening situation.
That’s it? As usual, the Boulder DA is doing a great job…not.
Authorities found out about the abuse after the girl’s teachers reported that she often showed up late to school,
unfed and wearing dirty clothes. Her teachers say that the girl cried all the time and was unable to focus on her work.
The girl told police that she and Cardillo slept naked in the same bed, would bathe together, and went in the hot
tub naked.
Cardillo is charged with sexual assault. He’s accused of using a sex toy on the girl and drinking her urine.
If convicted, he faces a possible life sentence in prison if convicted on charges of sex assault on a child by a person in
position of trust and a pattern of assaulting the girl. He’s free on a $100,000 bond.
6 months
ago DENVER – The father of a 10-year-old
girl killed in a shooting is scheduled to appear in court Wednesday on charges of child abuse resulting in death. Denver
Police said they arrested 29-year-old Leo Cisneros on Tuesday. He is scheduled to appear at noon. His
daughter, Auralia Cisneros, was killed during a shootout in their home on Nov. 26. Police
have said three men came to the home to rob Leo Cisneros and Auralia was killed during the confrontation. The DA's office
charged Trivi Trujillo, Joshua Rojas and Juvenico Hernandez, all 19, in her death. They also charged 22-year-old Manuel Talamantes
with felony murder and as an accessory to the crime. Police would not release details
on why Leo Cisneros was charged on Tuesday, but would only say they have "developed sufficient
information to arrest" him. "What we found through our investigation, we felt
that his actions that took place that night, those charges were warranted," said Sonny Jackson, spokesperson for the
Denver Police Department. "The gist of these charges is that the father of the slain
girl acted knowingly and recklessly in allowing his child to be placed in a position that was dangerous to her life or health,"
said 9NEWS legal analyst Scott Robinson. Auralia's mother was also in the home when
the shooting happened but she does not face any charges at this point. "The police
believe at least that the father was up to no good," said Robinson. "There are a number of scenarios that explain
the charges; could be drug business, gang affairs, could even be placing the child into the crossfire." According to the coroner's report, Auralia was sitting with her father when the shootout began. It says
she was found with "a small bag of green, leafy material clutched in her left hand." Despite
pictures on the family's MySpace page that appear to show gang signs, a gun and Leo Cisneros' criminal history of
drug possession, the family has insisted the shooting was random. 9NEWS attempted to contact
the family, but they did not return any phone calls on Tuesday. The police and the coroner's
office have never clarified which gun the bullet that killed Auralia came from – one of the alleged robbers or Leo Cisneros'.
Robinson says if the bullet came from Leo Cisneros he would also face charges of reckless manslaughter, not just child abuse.
The Denver District Attorney's office will now decide which charges will be formally
filed. |
| Rest in Peace |
|
| Jason |
Dad arrested in stabbing of 2 kids - Colorado
Springs father was arrested Monday on suspicion of trying to kill his young son and daughter last week in what police said
was an attempted murder-suicide.
Matthew Valverde, 44, is accused of stabbing his 4-year-old
son, 5-yearold daughter and himself at their Stratton Meadows home in the 1200 block of Norwood Avenue off East Cheyenne Road
on the city's south side. All three were hospitalized Thursday with serious but nonlifeing
injuries, Colorado Springs police said. The children had been released by Monday. Valverde remained at Memorial Hospital in fair condition. Once released, he'll be jailed on suspicion
of two counts of attempted firstgree murder, police said.
 Detective Payton Patterson described the stabbings as an unsuccessful murdersuicide but said
investigators found no suicide note. It's unclear when the stabbings occurred. Officers found Valverde and the children covered in blood about 7:10 a.m. Thursday in a bedroom. All three were on the bed. Valverde was unconscious, but the children were not. Police
came to the house after the children's mother arrived to pick them up. When no one answered the door, she called 911 to
ask officers to check inside. Copyright 2006
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved.
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In Colorado Springs, Colorado, foster mother 
Johnathan Klinker, 22, a soldier at Fort Carson in Colorado, pleaded guilty to child abuse resulting in death
and second-degree assault in the 
