Four victims will divide $240,000 that the city of Aurora will pay for bureaucratic blunders that kept serial rapist Brent J. Brents on the streets instead of in jail.
The victims filed a claim against the city and the district attorney’s office for failing to arrest Brents after he admitted he molested an Aurora child in November 2004, months before he went on a violent spree. The claim said police should have arrested Brents immediately.
Because of a miscommunication between police and the district attorney’s office, an arrest warrant wasn’t signed until Jan. 26, 2005, allowing Brents to remain free and attack at least 10 more people.
The money will be divided evenly among the four women. They are expected to receive their $60,000 checks this week.
“A trial would subject our clients to reliving the trauma they experienced,” said James M. Mile tich, attorney for one victim who was raped in Denver on Feb. 11. “She is having tough days. She will require a lifetime of counseling and therapy.”
Lawyers for the victims, who worked on the cases pro bono, said a trial did not come up in discussions with Aurora officials because they were eager to atone for the mistakes that were made.
The victims decided to seek monetary damages because they wanted to send a message to the authorities who let the Brents case fall through the cracks.
“They want to try to ensure that this does not happen again,” said Sean Gallagher, an attorney for a woman who was raped in her Denver pet store on Feb. 11.
Victims plan to meet with Aurora Police Chief Daniel Oates and City Attorney Charlie Richardson to discuss what changes have been and will be made to ensure that sexual assault cases are appropriately handled.
The city manager and deputy manager were suspended for two weeks without pay because of the Brents debacle, and then- Police Chief Ricky Bennett stepped down.
The district attorney’s office has since made changes in how it communicates with the Police Department and streamlined getting arrest warrants signed.
The settlement does not create a precedent for other cases in which people believe police made mistakes, Richardson said.
“We will look at every situation on a case-by-case basis,” Richardson said. “This was such a horrific incident. We had some strong legal defenses in this case, but we wanted to help victims rather than litigate.”
The settlement with Aurora does not include money from the 18th Judicial District attorney’s office.
District Attorney Carol Chambers has said she does not have the funds to settle a case with the victims. “I do not have authorization (from county commissioners) to use the money that way, and we don’t have any extra money,” she said.
But county spokeswoman Andrea Rasizer said earlier this month that Chambers hasn’t formally asked the commissioners for money and can do as she wants with her own budget.
“The Brent Brents victims have not used their victim compensation fund limits,” Chambers said Monday. “We will come in at a later date and fill any need that might still be there.”
Payout from the state’s victim compensation fund is capped at $20,000. One of the Arapahoe County victims is receiving that money and has not exceeded that amount in counseling or other costs related to the crime, a DA spokeswoman said.
The four women’s lawyers said they haven’t decided whether to pursue a lawsuit against the district attorney’s office, but stres sed they didn’t want to put their clients through a painful trial.
“We invite discussions with the (Arapahoe) county commissioners in an effort to resolve those claims short of litigation,” Miletich said.
The other two victims who received the settlement money include an Aurora woman who was raped and beaten on Feb. 4 and Tiffany Engle, a property manager who was severely beaten by Brents on Feb. 18 and suffered brain damage.
Brents assaulted at least 14 women and children in Denver and Aurora before his capture on Feb. 18. In July, Brents was sentenced to 1,500 years in prison.
Staff writer Felisa Cardona can be reached at 303-820-1219 or fcardona@denverpost.com.
Spiraling string of attacks
Oct. 20, 2004 – Brent J. Brents has been out of prison for three months and sexually assaults a 25-year-old woman.
Nov. 23 – Brents tells Aurora police in an interview that he molested an 8-year-old boy. He is not held.
Dec. 3 – Aurora police officer releases his report to the Arapahoe County district attorney’s office, seeking charges.
Dec. 13 – DA’s office draws up charges and waits for the police officer to review the case.
Jan. 11, 2005 – Brents sexually assaults a 23-year-old woman.
Jan. 21 – Brents sexually assaults a 22-year-old woman.
Jan. 19 – Aurora police officer signs case after victim’s advocate discovers the case is languishing.
Jan. 26 – A judge agrees there’s probable cause to charge Brents with four counts of sexual assault on a child. The arrest warrant is signed.
Feb. 4 – Brents beats and rapes a 49-year-old woman in her home.
Feb. 11 – Brents assaults a 29-year-old woman at knifepoint.
Feb. 11 – Brents attacks and rapes a 44-year-old woman.
Feb. 14 – Brents breaks into a home, assaults a 67-year-old woman and two of her granddaughters, both 11.
Feb. 18 – Brents beats a woman who managed an apartment building.
Feb. 18 – Police say Brents was holding a woman captive in that building, raping her more than a dozen times. That night, Glenwood Springs police capture him driving the woman’s car, tracking him by her cellphone.
April 10 – The woman who was held captive by Brents and was with him when he was caught kills herself.
July 6 – Brents is sentenced in Denver District Court to 1,300 years in prison for attacks on 12 women and children.
July 8 – Brents is sentenced in Arapahoe County district court to 190 years in prison for attacks on 8-year-old boy and 60 years for an attack on an Aurora woman.
