Chinese acrobat who fell to his death at Elitch’s ID’d
A Chinese acrobat who died Saturday after performing a stunt at Six Flags Elitch Gardens was identified by Denver police Sunday as 19-year-old Lin Lin Zhao.
Zhao fell 30 feet and hit his head Friday night while performing on a stack of chairs as part of the Amazing Acrobats of China show.
Zhao, who was taken to Denver Health Medical Center, died early Saturday.
The Amazing Acrobats of China show is on hold while the investigation into Zhao’s death is underway by Denver police and officials at Elitch Gardens.
Zhao’s body will probably be returned to China, but the Denver coroner’s office had not yet made those arrangements Sunday.
An official cause of Zhao’s death probably won’t be released until today.
DENVER
Man, 47, missing from nursing home
A mentally impaired man has been missing since Thursday evening from the Spearly Nursing Care Center in northwest Denver.
Billy Landon, 47, was last seen wearing sandals, dark- blue pants and a light-blue shirt. He is 5-foot-9 and 210 pounds and has curly, graying brown hair.
His behavior is considered childlike because of a brain injury he suffered several years ago, authorities said.
Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to call Denver police at 720-913-2000.
AURORA
Girl’s arm caught in escalator at mall
An 8-year-old girl got her arm caught in an escalator at Town Center at Aurora mall Sunday afternoon, Aurora fire Capt. Mike Ackman said.
The girl might have been playing on the escalator.
Her hand was caught in the handrail as it went around and into the floor. The escalator was shut down, and firefighters pulled her out, Ackman said.
The girl was not taken by ambulance; rather her parents took her to a private doctor, Ackman said.
LAKEWOOD and AURORA
Beauprez plans immigration forums U.S. Rep. Bob Beauprez, a Republican from Arvada, plans to hold two town-hall meetings this week to talk about immigration issues. He and representatives from the Colorado Department of Labor, Social Security Administration and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services will answer questions.
The meetings will be Thursday, at 10 a.m. at Lakewood City Council Chambers, 480 S. Allison Parkway, and at 2:15 p.m. at Aurora Municipal Center, 15151 E. Alameda Parkway.
Beauprez is a candidate for Colorado governor.
CENTENNIAL
Suicidal woman fires gun in her backyard
Law enforcement officials arrested a Centennial woman who fired a gun in her backyard Sunday afternoon and declared she was suicidal, according to a Sheriff’s Office statement.
Judy Carol Baack, 47, was with a guest at the time, who then left the house and called authorities. Arapahoe County sheriff’s deputies surrounded the house and evacuated neighbors in the 7000 block of South Elizabeth Street.
Deputies arrested Baack after she walked out the back door of her house. She was jailed at the Justice Center Detention Facility for investigation of reckless endangerment, a misdemeanor.
SHERIDAN
Man reports robbery at gunpoint on trail
A gun-wielding suspect robbed a man Saturday night on Bear Creek Trail in Sheridan, demanding drugs or money, police said.
The victim told police that the robber forced him to lie down, then rooted through his wallet. The man fled with the victim’s ID, police said in a statement.
Anyone with information should call Sheridan police at 303-762-2236.
AVON
Colorado couple win “Crazy Horse” Harley
A Colorado couple claimed the winning ticket for a Harley-Davidson decked out in honor of the Crazy Horse Memorial, which honors American Indians.
The custom motorcycle called “Warrior” went to Andy and Brenda Bober of Avon, according to a news release.
He is an architect, and she is a children’s librarian.
Andy Bober said the couple read about the drawing last spring and saw it as a way to contribute to the nonprofit memorial. Their $50 for three tickets won them the bike, valued at $26,755.
Crazy Horse president and chief executive Ruth Ziolkowski and Deb Martin of Elite Custom Motorcycles, which donated the bike, drew the winning ticket Saturday at the Crazy Horse Memorial in South Dakota.
The raffle generated more than $200,000 for the Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation.
