Grandmother faces counts of child abuse, kidnapping
The Adams County district attorney Thursday filed 37 counts of misdemeanor child abuse and felony attempt to commit child abuse resulting in serious bodily injury against a Commerce City woman who allegedly kept her grandson locked in a dog kennel for hours at a time over the past three years.
June Candelario, 61, also was charged with one count of second- degree kidnapping.
The kidnapping charge and the attempted child abuse resulting in serious bodily injury are Class 4 felonies that carry a maximum penalty of 16 years in prison and a $500,000 fine.
The 37 counts of child abuse are Class 1 misdemeanors punishable by up to two years in jail.
Candelario posted $100,000 bond but is scheduled to be back in court for a June 15 hearing.
Candelario, who has been suspended from her job as a counselor in Jefferson County’s detention center, was arrested last week after police were informed that she had been keeping her 13-year-old grandson locked up in the kennel on nights that she worked.
DENVER
Appeals ruling gives FasTracks green light
The Colorado Court of Appeals refused Thursday to nullify the $4.7 billion RTD FasTracks expansion, which was approved by voters in 2004 despite a phony ballot summary mailed to voters before the election.
Jon Caldara, president of the Independence Institute and chairman of Taxpayers Against Congestion, which opposed the tax increase and expansion, was incensed by the ruling.
Caldara noted that Denver District Judge Lawrence Manzanares had ruled earlier that a member of the pro-FasTracks campaign committee, Rebecca Barnes, submitted false and misleading comments against FasTracks to state election officials. Those comments were included in a voter booklet sent out before the election.
But Manzanares refused to block distribution of the booklet, known as the “blue book,” saying the court should not determine the validity of an argument based on the motives of the person who submitted it.
Caldara appealed to the Colorado Supreme Court, which sent the case to the Court of Appeals.
DENVER
Sentence delayed for alleged killer’s helper
At the request of prosecutors and a defense attorney, a Denver judge on Thursday ordered a two-week delay in the sentencing of the man who admitted to helping alleged cop killer Raul Gomez-Garcia bury evidence and escape from Denver.
Denver District Judge Robert McGahey Jr. rescheduled the sentencing for Jaime Arana-Del Angel after Arana-Del Angel’s attorney, Frank Moya, said the Mexican national had expected someone from the Mexican Consulate in Denver to be present.
The representative was supposed to have a letter sent to the consulate by Arana-Del Angel’s parents. Moya tried repeatedly Thursday afternoon to contact the consulate but was unable to get through.
Gomez-Garcia is accused of fatally shooting Detective Donald Young and wounding his partner, Detective Jack Bishop, on May 8, 2005.
Arana-Del Angel is be sentenced on one count of accessory after the fact and will testify against Gomez-Garcia.
COLORADO
Ritter’s fundraising totals $1.3 million
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Bill Ritter on Thursday reported raising $201,066 from April 26 to May 25.
That’s up from the $156,000 he reported raising the previous month.
To date, he has raised more than $1.3 million.
The newest campaign finance reports are not due with the secretary of state until Monday, so the latest numbers from Republicans Bob Beauprez and Marc Holtzman are not yet available.
In the last filing, Beauprez reported raising a total of $1.8 million to Holtzman’s $1.4 million.
COLORADO SPRINGS
Anderson on ballot for 5th District race
Former El Paso County Sheriff John Anderson will be on the ballot for the Aug. 8 primary in the 5th Congressional District.
The secretary of state’s office informed Anderson on Thursday that he had 1,103 valid petition signatures, more than the 1,000 needed to get on the ballot.
So far, the race on the Republican side includes five candidates: Anderson; Jeff Crank, former vice president of the Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce; retired Air Force Maj. Gen. Bentley Rayburn;state Sen. Doug Lamborn; and Colorado Springs Mayor Lionel Rivera.
COLORADO SPRINGS
Eighth-graders cited in Woodmen fire
Two boys – ages 14 and 15 – received summonses for fourth- degree arson Thursday in connection with a fire in Woodmen Valley on May 24.
The boys, eighth-graders at Eagleview Middle School, are suspected of lighting a campfire that got out of control. Each boy received a summons and was released to his parents.
