Jewelry “grab and go” suspect arrested
Police on Saturday arrested the woman believed to be the “Grab and Go Bandit,” who has made off with thousands of dollars worth of jewelry from metro-area stores since late February.
Although authorities originally believed the bandit to be in her early 20s, they arrested a juvenile and offered no more details on the suspect.
The thief earned her nickname by strolling into high-end jewelry stores and asking to see several expensive items before grabbing them off the counter and fleeing. Police said she pulled off at least three capers, taking off with about $20,000 worth of merchandise at each stop.
Man in wheelchair hit, killed by truck
A 25-year-old Westminster man died early Saturday morning when he was struck in his wheelchair by a vehicle at the intersection of 82nd Avenue and Federal Boulevard.
Fernando Paul Flores was hit about 2:30 a.m. by a Ford Ranger driven by Rory Raynard Benjamin, who was not charged in the accident. However, police arrested Benjamin on an outstanding municipal court warrant.
Teacher who had sex with teen gets prison
Nicole Barnhart, a former social studies teacher at Ponderosa High School in Parker, was sentenced Friday to two years in prison for having sex with one of her 16-year-old male students.
Barnhart, a 35-year-old married mother of two children ages 4 and 7, pleaded guilty in January to two felonies of sexual assault on a child while in a position of trust, and criminal attempt to commit sexual assault on a child.
On Friday, Arapahoe County District Judge Paul King accepted the prosecution’s request that she be sentenced to two years in the Department of Corrections, then placed on supervised probation from 10 years to life. She also must register as a sex offender.
CU panel narrowing search for president
A committee searching for the next president of the University of Colorado is close to naming its finalists.
The search committee plans to meet in a closed session with CU regents Monday. Up to three finalists are expected to be named at a public regents meeting April 10-11.
Regents have said they expect interim president Hank Brown to be among the finalists.
Motorcyclist killed in crash with truck
A 47-year-old Steamboat Springs man died Saturday afternoon on Interstate 70 near Palisade when his motorcycle sideswiped a semi-truck.
Brian Houston was traveling east when his motorcycle drifted into the semi as both negotiated a curve. Houston lost control and flew off his vehicle. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The truck driver, 46-year-old Forrest Sadler of Loma, has not been charged. The wreck closed I-70 for about a half hour.
Carbondale man dies after skiing into tree
A 48-year-old Carbondale man died Saturday after he hit a tree while skiing at Snowmass Ski Area.
The ski patrol performed CPR on the man, who was taken to Aspen Valley Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, the Aspen Skiing Co. said.
The man’s name was not released.
No further information was released pending an investigation by the ski patrol.
Man to stand trial in fire deaths of children
A judge has ordered Timothy Paul Nicholls to stand trial for conspiracy to commit first-degree murder for allegedly setting his three children on fire and leaving them to burn to death.
Nicholls, 35, was arrested in July and is being held without bail after being indicted by a grand jury in the March 7, 2003, fire. District Judge David Miller heard an informer, Hiram Church, testify Friday that Nicholls confessed to killing Jay, 11, Sierra, 3, and Sophia, 5. Church and Nicholls had shared a jail cell.
Church testified that Nicholls told him that his wife, Deborah L. Nicholls, helped him plan the attack to collect insurance to pay off drug debts.
