Author: Nick Smith nick.smith@gazette.com
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Woman convicted in Fremont County double murder after original prosecutor disqualified
The final co-conspirator charged in the 2022 Phantom Canyon murders was found guilty by a Fremont County jury on Wednesday, nearly wrapping up a case that had two prosecution teams after the first one was disqualified. Toni Gurule, 45, was the last of three co-defendants found responsible for the deaths of Rodolfo “Rudy” Santillan-Reyes, 36,…
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Colorado Springs police issue over 300 citations in car registration crackdown
A crackdown across the Front Range last week yielded 313 citations for registration enforcement in Colorado Springs alone. The initiative included the Colorado Springs, Aurora, Denver, Fountain, Monument and Manitou Springs police departments, as well as the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office. In total, 955 citations were issued during a week authorities said was a…
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Longtime feud led to murder inside gated Colorado Springs community, prosecutor says
The former Republican state Senate candidate accused of murdering a person inside his gated Colorado Springs community had a longtime feud he started with an involved neighbor, according to evidence reviewed in court Wednesday. “I was just so fed up,” Timothy Arvidson, 65, is heard saying during a call with his wife while in custody…
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Judge shoots down motion to dismiss theft case against former Fountain city councilwoman
A 4th Judicial District judge shot down former Fountain City Councilwoman Detra Duncan’s request to dismiss her public assistance theft case Tuesday. Duncan, 55, is accused of stealing over $37,000 in public assistance funds after El Paso County investigators claim they found forged documents they say Duncan used to file for food assistance, Medicaid and…
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New Year’s murder suspect said she ‘didn’t mean to hurt anybody,’ Colorado Springs detective testifies
A woman who stands accused of being the shooter responsible for a fatal 2025 New Year’s shooting allegedly told Colorado Springs police it was an accident. Colorado Springs police detective Ashton Gardner testified that defendant Brandy Cantu, 27, told him that she didn’t mean to fire off the round that killed 35-year-old Andrea Martinez outside…
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Mother sues CoreCivic after inmates’ brutal murders at southeast Colorado prison
A mother is suing private prison company CoreCivic after a man and her son were murdered in a brutal attack that left her son with 25 puncture wounds to the face, mostly focused on his right eye, inside the Bent County prison. Charles Gates, 27, and Michael Fisher, 59, were murdered the night of June…
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3 tied to attempted murder investigation involving wounded Pueblo juvenile
Pueblo police arrested three men who allegedly were part of a mid-August shooting that left a juvenile girl with two gunshot wounds, according to a Thursday news release. Anthony Vigil and Diego Martinez, both 20, are being charged with two counts of first-degree attempted murder after authorities connected them to the shooting, Colorado court records…
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Man seriously injured after overnight shooting in Colorado Springs, suspects sought
Colorado Springs police are looking for suspects involved in an early Friday morning shooting that sent a man to the hospital with serious injuries. The shooting happened around 1:45 a.m. somewhere in or near the 4500 block of Samaritan Loop on the southeast side of the city, according to police. The area is a neighborhood…
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Woodland Park gunman was anti-government, a lone wolf, family says
The alleged gunman who opened fire on two Colorado State Patrol troopers Tuesday had an outstanding warrant for violating parole, a violent side and a major distrust of government, according to estranged family members and court records. Robert Rudolf Richards Jr., 51, lived an unknown life separate from his family, according to his cousin, David…
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Woodland Park gunman was anti-government, a lone wolf, family says
The alleged gunman who opened fire on two Colorado State Patrol troopers Aug. 25 had an outstanding warrant for violating parole, a violent side and a major distrust of government, according to estranged family members and court records. Robert Rudolf Richards Jr., 51, lived an unknown life separate from his family, according to his cousin,…