Deputy impersonator warns woman of rape
A man wearing a fake badge and impersonating a Larimer County sheriff’s deputy knocked on a woman’s door and said he was warning people about a rape that happened nearby, authorities say.
The incident happened on the 1200 block of Gaelic Place in northeast Fort Collins at 12:45 p.m. Thursday, according to a news release by the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office.
The fake deputy, who did not enter the home, told the woman to make sure she locked her door because there was a rape suspect in the neighborhood. He asked her personal questions, including whether she lived alone.
He then left the area in an unknown direction, the report says. When the woman called Fort Collins Police Services to ask questions about the rapist, she was told they had no report of a rape suspect.
The suspect is described as white, 5 foot 9, with dark brown medium-length hair, a small moustache and green eyes. He was wearing a dark-blue shirt and pants with a Larimer County Sheriff’s Office patch on the sleeve and a gold badge. He wore a basket-weave belt and had a baton.
Driver ID’d in crash that injured 4 cyclists
Police have identified the woman who allegedly drove her black Lexus through a red light and caused a chain-reaction accident involving four Harley-Davidson motorcycles.
Anna Abbott, 51, has been cited for careless driving resulting in serious bodily injury in the Tuesday afternoon accident.
Abbott allegedly failed to stop for a red light at the intersection of Eighth Avenue and Speer Boulevard and collided with two motorcycles, which then skidded into two other motorcycles, said John White, Denver police spokesman.
Michael McGinley Sr., 45; his son Michael McGinley Jr., 18; Johnnie Baker, in his 40s; and Byron Waggoner, 46, were all taken to Denver Health Medical Center for treatment. Two of the men sustained serious injuries.
Storm likely to pad southwest snowpack
A Pacific storm system was expected to bring up to 40 mph gusts and blowing snow but also much-needed moisture to southwestern Colorado today.
Eight to 16 inches of new snow was possible in the San Juan, West Elk and Sawatch mountains, where the National Weather Service issued a winter storm warning for today through 6 a.m. Monday. The warning included Crested Butte and Telluride.
About 10 to 20 inches could accumulate at higher spots, including Wolf Creek Pass by late today, the Weather Service said.
Up to 5 inches was expected at lower elevations, including Durango, and 4 to 8 inches was expected in Pagosa Springs.
The storm would help boost snowpack in southwest Colorado.
Storms have dumped plenty of snow in the northern and central mountains this winter, with snowpack in the northern part of the state well above average.
Nationwide alert issued for pair
Larimer County officials issued a nationwide alert Friday for two suspects facing charges of first-degree assault on a police officer.
The alerts were issued for Lori Romero, 36, and Michael John Welch, 33, who failed to appear in Larimer County Court on Thursday for a pretrial conference. Their five-day trial was scheduled to begin Jan. 24.
Welch is also charged with possession of a dangerous weapon. The charges stem from an incident at the Welch home in Wellington on Nov. 2, 2004.
Larimer officials say that Romero and Welch should be considered armed and dangerous. Anyone with information on the two should contact the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office at 970-416-1985.
Owners can license their pets online
Denver pet owners now can license their pet at www.Denvergov.org/petlicense.
The website was recently launched by the Division of Animal Care & Control to allow residents to order a new or renewed pet license and pay for it via Visa or MasterCard, according to a statement from the city.
In Denver, a one- or three-year license is required for dogs and cats over the age of 6 months. Such a license enables the city’s animal-care staff to identify and contact a lost pet’s owner, the statement said.
Licenses still can be purchased from the Denver Animal Care & Control office at 678 S. Jason St., Denver, CO 80223, by bringing or mailing in a current rabies certificate. A one-year license is $10 and a three-year license is $30.
