The Aurora theater shooting preliminary hearing of James Holmes and the tragic mass killing at a Newtown, Connecticut school have spawned calls for new and stricter gun laws. Against this backdrop comes news related to the bloodiest metro-area incident so far in 2013 — an Aurora triple murder in which…
Last year, Hani “Henry” Sawaged, owner of Daveco Liquors, which boasts of being the world’s largest liquor store, earned Schmuck of the Week honors after pleading guilty to a sales-tax underpayment scheme. He and two brothers, Ghassan and Bassam Sawaged, have now been ordered to pay well over $1 million…
A preliminary hearing for James Holmes, the accused Aurora theater shooter, concluded today, and numerous victims and members of the public were on site to watch. A lot of reporters were there, too, taking notes on the horrific details of the July 20 shooting — and given the chilling testimony,…
Secretary of State Scott Gessler is the subject of this week’s cover story in part because he’s facing criminal and ethics investigations for his alleged misuse of funds. On Monday, the state’s Independent Ethics Commission voted unanimously to continue its investigation despite his requests for dismissal. But that’s not his…
John Copeland is 85 years old and apparently walks with assistance from a cane — something we know because he’s been formally charged with using one to bash another man, age 66, in the head. And why did Copeland whack this not-so-young whippersnapper? Over a handicapped parking place…
Editor’s note: Melanie Asmar is covering day three of the preliminary hearing into the July 20 Aurora theater shooting allegedly committed by James Holmes. Sergeant Matthew Fyles continued his testimony by displaying photos James Holmes took of himself and the future crime scene…
Today is the first day of the new legislative session in Colorado — and in a clear sign of contentious debates to come, a group called Guns for Everyone is staging a “pro-gun rally” to counter expected firearms-control proposals from Democrats this cycle. Organizer Edgar Antillon, a former House district…
Editor’s note: Melanie Asmar is covering day two of the preliminary hearing into the July 20 Aurora theater shooting allegedly committed by James Holmes. The latest update is immediately below, followed by previous coverage. Update: The majority of the afternoon session was dominated by a listing of victims by name,…
Hollywood loves stories about psychiatrists and patients drawn into love matches during their shared time together — much of it involving a couch. But the folks at the Colorado Springs Police Department aren’t nearly as charmed by the concept. Just ask Dr. Janice Husted, who’s been arrested for allegedly getting…
The attorneys for Secretary of State Scott Gessler, who is accused of misusing state funds, have said there are many reasons why the case should be dismissed. The Independent Ethics Commission disagrees, voting yesterday to reject the dismissal requests. That means the investigation will continue — but Gessler maintains that…
The thief in the bear-mace stickup of a Boulder marijuana dispensary reportedly stole $9,000 worth of weed — a far bigger haul than usual for crimes that typically net little cash or merchandise. Case in point: This weekend’s burglary at Craig Apothecary, whose pissed-off owner is offering a $1,000 reward…
Editor’s note: Melanie Asmar is covering today’s preliminary hearing into the July 20 Aurora theater shooting allegedly committed by James Holmes. The latest update is immediately below, followed by previous coverage. January 7, 5:28 p.m.: The final portion of the hearing began with testimony by the two forensic pathologists who…
The next family meal at the Arapahoe abode is absolutely guaranteed to be awkward. Why? Because Alec Arapahoe, twenty, has been arrested on a slew of charges, including using a Taser to menace and/or shoot his grandmother and his great aunt. Details can be found in a vivid police report…
Just checked in with the Boulder Police Department, and spokeswoman Kim Kobel tells us there have been no arrests or new developments regarding the investigation into a bizarre robbery at the Dandelion Dispensary, a Boulder marijuana shop. But at least the Dandelion has reopened after an extensive cleanup necessitated by…
The upcoming reopening of Cinemark’s Century 16 theater, the site of the tragic mass shooting on July 20 at a midnight show, has sparked a lot of controversy this week — in part because of a heavily criticized letter that theater sent to the victims’ families inviting them to attend…
After a few minutes of dancing and drumming at FlatIron Crossing in Broomfield on Wednesday, police officers told a large group of protesters that they had to stop. A short while later, five were in handcuffs. This is how a planned flash mob became confrontational — at least according to…
Update, 2:37 p.m.: Denver Police have made an arrest in connection with the first homicide of the new year. Robert Anthony Rubio, 26, mugshot below, was taken into custody yesterday as a suspect in a January 1st late-night shooting that left one man injured and another dead in Southwest Denver…
Another police officer is under investigation for an animal killing in Colorado — and the victim is a tad bit bigger than Chloe the dog. Boulder Police officials, in a statement that includes an apology, say that an officer shot and killed a bull elk and took it to another…
Yesterday, families of those who died in the Aurora theater shooting blasted Cinemark, owner of the site of the tragedy, for insensitively inviting them to an event timed with the theater’s reopening. The mother and stepfather of victim Jessica Ghawi joined others in signing a letter to the theater, expressing…
Accused Aurora theater shooter James Holmes was in court yesterday for a short hearing to determine whether lawyers were ready to proceed with what will likely be a revealing preliminary hearing next week. (They are; the hearing starts Monday, January 7 at 9 a.m.) After the hearing, we used the…
Pot is now technically legal in Colorado for recreational use — but smoking underage on a bus bound for this state most certainly is not. That was a tough lesson for a group of Ohio students who were caught with marijuana and other drugs on their way here for an…
This was not the holiday letter that families of the Aurora theater shooting victims wanted to receive. Two days after Christmas, the families of those killed on July 20 received a letter inviting them to return to the site of the massacre for a Cinemark reopening event. They’ve since responded…
