COLORADO SPRINGS – Stella Garza Hicks, a legislative district chairwoman from Colorado Springs, will replace Rep. Mark Cloer, R-Colorado Springs, who resigned his seat for family reasons.
Hicks will be sworn in with the rest of the incoming legislators Wednesday.
Cloer, the father of two young sons, resigned less than two months after he was re-elected, saying he could no longer work in Denver four months of the year. A vacancy committee made up of Republican officials in House District 17 chose his replacement.
MORE BRIEFS
DENVER
Victims identified in Sunday stabbing
Two men who were stabbed to death during a fight at a house party early New Year’s Eve have been identified by the Denver coroner’s office.
Efrain Lozona Aranda, 22, of Denver and 28-year-old John Estrada of Thornton died at Denver Health Medical Center after the 1 a.m. stabbing Sunday.
The fight occurred at a home on the southwest corner of Yates Street and West Second Avenue, police said.
Several other people were injured during the fight, but the motive for the killings was not disclosed by police.
BOULDER
Commissioner treated for a rare cancer
County Commissioner Tom Mayer revealed Thursday that he has a rare form of cancer, and the treatment for it could take him away from his job for up to a month.
The cancer was discovered the day after Election Day, when Mayer underwent an emergency appendectomy after complaining of abdominal pain. He is receiving chemotherapy treatments and keeping as much of a regular schedule as he can.
Mayer, 55, said he is consulting with clinics in Houston and New York and could travel out of state for surgery within the next couple of months. If he did that, Mayer said he would be away from his job for about a month.
Mayer, one of three Boulder County commissioners, is serving his second four-year term on the board, having just been re-elected. The commissioners oversee the county’s budget and 10 county departments.
LAKEWOOD
Man wielding knives killed by 2 officers
A Lakewood man was shot and killed by two police officers when he approached them with a knife in each hand and refused to put them down, officials said.
James Alexander Abeyta, 37, died at St. Anthony Central Hospital after being shot about 11:30 p.m. Wednesday outside his home in the 1600 block of South Ammons Street.
Abeyta’s common-law wife, Bernadette Rodarte, said Thursday that Abeyta had been “really depressed” lately and said he had wanted to leave the state.
Rodarte said she dropped Abeyta off at a convenience store and that’s the last time she saw him.
Police said they were called Wednesday night by Rodarte’s sister, who told them Abeyta was on his way to the Ammons Street home and she feared he was going to harm Rodarte.
With officers on the way to the home, police dispatchers got a call from Abeyta warning them he “would confront police should they arrive,” police spokesman Steve Daviscq said.
Police were met outside the home by Abeyta who was armed with knives, Davis said. Rodarte was not there.
Abeyta refused “numerous commands to drop the knives,” Davis said, so both officers fired at him.
Abeyta has a lengthy arrest record dating to 1989cq, according to Colorado Bureau of Investigationcq records.
In 1997cq, Abeyta pleaded guilty in Jefferson County to felony menacing, assault and stalking, among other charges, for holding a knife to his ex-wife’s throat and threatening to kill her, according to court documents.
He served time in prison and his ex-wife was granted a permanent restraining order against him.
Abeyta’s family and his ex-wife could not be reached for comment Thursday.
Rodarte said Abeyta never hit or threatened her.
She was upset Thursday, and alleged police used “excessive force” against her husband.
The Jefferson County Shoot Teamcq is investigating the death, the secondcq fatal shooting by Lakewood police within a weekcq.
Adam Bernalcq, 24cq, of Thorntoncq, was shot and killed by police on Saturday Dec. 30cq.
Police said Bernal was driving a pickup on the snowy street attempting to rob a trailer on the 1200cq block of South Ammons Street.
Bernal tried to flee the area and got stuck in snow. An officer approached the pickup and fell under it, police said. Bernal continued to spin the truck’s wheels in the snow in an attempt to flee, police said.
Another officer fired onecq shot at Bernal fearing that the officer under the truck could be run over, police said.
The officers involved in Wednesday’s shootings have been placed on administrative leave, which is standard procedure, Davis said. Their names were not released.
