Motel stabbing victim dies; suspect arrested
A man was found stabbed to death at an Aurora motel Thursday morning, and a suspect was arrested about 2 1/2 hours later in Westminster, Detective Robert Friel said in a prepared statement.
Police haven’t identified the victim, who was pronounced dead at the scene.
The suspect was identified as Jason Lee Lane, 26. He was booked into jail on a first-degree murder count, Friel said.
Officers went to the Dunes Motel, 13000 E. Colfax Ave., about 6:10 a.m. on a report of a suspicious occurrence, Friel said.
Investigators developed information about possible locations of the suspect and notified Westminster and Thornton police. Lane was arrested about 8:45 a.m. by police in Westminster, Friel said.
The motive for the slaying is under investigation, he said.
Rep. Salazar seeks review of Wolf Creek
U.S. Rep. John Salazar, D-Colo., on Thursday formally requested that the Army Corps of Engineers review the potential impact of the proposed Village at Wolf Creek on wetlands.
Salazar, a member of the House Water and Resources Subcommittee, asked officials if the developer will require a permit under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act.
“This project has become controversial and is largely opposed by the local community,” Salazar wrote officials. “I believe the project will severely harm downstream water users and could potentially jeopardize the future of Wolf Creek Ski Area and the surrounding environment.”
Developers of the proposed project deny it will harm wetlands.
Homicide victim, suspect identified
Aurora police Thursday identified the victim of a homicide as 19-year-old Jose Sanchez Jr.
He died Wednesday from gunshot wounds suffered the night before.
Police also identified Adam J. Younger, 29, as the man arrested on suspicion of first-degree murder in Sanchez’s death.
Younger is being held without bail in the Adams County jail. He was captured Thursday morning after a police chase on Interstate 76.
Also arrested was Troy Boldra, 27. He is being held on a parole violation warrant and a traffic warrant out of Park County. Detectives are investigating whether Boldra was involved in the shooting, in the 1600 block of Lima Street in Aurora.
Anyone with any information about the case is asked to call Detective Shannon Lucy at 303-739-6460.
Canadian “fraudsters” spread lottery scam
A new scam originating in Canada has popped up in the Denver area, with the Jefferson County district attorney’s office reporting a sudden increase in complaints in the past two weeks.
Jeffco DA Scott Storey said Wednesday that Canadian “fraudsters” send letters telling the recipients they have won a random lottery drawing and enclose an official-looking check.
The “winners” are told to deposit the check for taxes and then send a wire transfer or money order to Canada to cover the taxes. Storey said most banks will cash the checks, but when the checks are sent for payment, the account and checks are found to be bogus and the people who sent the money to Canada have been defrauded.
Storey said this type of scam is nearly impossible to track, investigate or prosecute, and there is no way for the victims to recoup their losses.
Before doing anything with one of these letters, Storey suggests calling the DA’s fraud hotline, 303-271-6980.
Publisher denies harassing housekeeper
In an article in The Pueblo Chieftain on Thursday, the publisher of the newspaper denied claims that he sexually harassed a longtime housekeeper.
The 48-year-old housekeeper filed a criminal complaint against Robert Rawlings on Monday, claiming that over the past 15 years he sent her as many as 500 notes and cards with unwanted sexual comments. She also told police he made sexual comments to her.
Deputy Police Chief John Ercul said the allegations probably don’t constitute criminal violations.
The newspaper quoted a statement issued through Rawlings’ attorney, Randy Jorgensen, which said the housekeeper’s allegations are false.
NTSB cites witnesses in plane crash report
A small plane that crashed near Austin in western Colorado, killing three people, apparently flew over a hunting ranch twice before striking a power line, according to a preliminary report by the National Transportation Safety Board.
Arnold Scott, an NTSB investigator, said the report was based on witness statements and does not assume pilot error in the Feb. 23 crash, The Daily Sentinel reported Wednesday.
The pilot, Glen Harcourt of Sawpit and owner of Steeprock Builders, died in the crash along with two passengers, Tim Hackett of Grand Junction and Bolling Barton Willse of Maryland.
‘Boarders cause slide in “middle of town”
Two snowboarders triggered a wet-slab avalanche within the city limits of Steamboat Springs.
“It happened so quickly,” John St. John, one of the snowboarders, said of Wednesday’s slide. “It didn’t hesitate, and it came in a big way. Right there in the middle of town.”
The other snowboarder, Eugene Buchanan, said they knew the conditions weren’t great but didn’t expect the snow to slide.
Neither of them were caught or injured in the slide, which broke away below them and slid about 60 feet down the western edge of the Howelsen Hill area.
Wet-slab avalanches are most likely to occur during warm weather when the snowpack doesn’t freeze hard during the night.
It creates instability between the layers of snow, and the lower layer no longer is able to support the layer above.
