Colorado Springs – The El Paso County Coroner’s Office is sending fingerprints for comparison today to help identify a man who was found dead Saturday in the Castle West apartments that were set ablaze Tuesday.
The body of the man, who appeared to be in his 30s, was recovered at 10:30 a.m. Saturday.
Another man, identified as Joe Santoyo, 52, of Arizona, was recovered Friday in a separate portion of the complex. An autopsy to determine his official cause of death is set for today.
Police have arrested cousins Derrick Nicholas “Nicky” Johnson, 23, and Gene Johnson, 36, on suspicion of first-degree murder in connection with the fire. The two men who were killed in the fire were not the intended targets of the arson, police said.
Members of the Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives National Response Team and the Colorado Springs Police and Fire departments continued searching the complex Sunday for evidence.
However, the search was hampered by snowy conditions.
DENVER
Swift workers held in raid in court today
A court case involving dozens of foreign workers who were arrested during a raid at a Greeley meatpacking plant last month is scheduled for 10 a.m. today before U.S. District Judge John Kane.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials conducted raids at six Swift & Co. meatpacking plants across the nation, including one in Greeley, in December.
Immigration officials say some workers face identity-theft charges.
Representatives of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 7, a union that represents Swift workers, say about 70 are being held illegally and have not had immigration bond hearings.
Kane this month ordered immigration officials in Colorado to account for all workers detained and deported and told the government to hold an immigration bond hearing for any detained worker who has not already had one.
GRAND JUNCTION
Teen pleads guilty to having gun at school
A 15-year-old boy accused of bringing a loaded revolver to Grand Junction High School has pleaded guilty to possessing a weapon on school grounds.
The boy pleaded guilty Friday in a plea agreement that called for misdemeanor charges of theft, possession of a handgun by a juvenile, and unlawfully carrying a weapon on school grounds to be dropped.
He faces up to two years in the Division of Youth Corrections, mandatory parole and $300 in fines or community service at a sentencing hearing scheduled for March 9.
The teen was accused of concealing a loaded .357-caliber Magnum Rossi revolver in a holster under his shirt and inside his shorts Dec. 22.
The weapon apparently had been stolen from his stepfather, an arrest affidavit said.
STEAMBOAT SPRINGS
Number of skiers, lodgers on the rise
Not only are skier numbers up, but so are lodging numbers in Steamboat Springs.
Last week the trade group Colorado Ski Country USA released figures showing skier days were up at Steamboat and other resorts 6.7 percent from last year’s record. It did not give figures for each resort.
More than 11,000 guests were expected in town over the weekend, according to a forecast by the Steamboat Springs Chamber Resort Association.
“Probably there are a lot of people that know this is kind of an off weekend for skier visits, but the conditions are still good,” said chamber spokeswoman Riley Polumbus.
The chamber’s lodging forecast has shown increases nearly every weekend so far this season compared with last season.
“These are big jumps,” Polumbus said. “There is a huge midweek jump next week, which is great.”
The occupancy forecast for Wednesday is up 20 percent from last year.
GALLUP, N.M.
Navajo Nation freezes funds; probe pending
Discretionary funds appropriated to the Navajo Nation speaker’s office have been frozen, pending an internal investigation, Navajo officials said.
Chief legislative counsel Raymond Etcitty said it appears that “some people may have fraudulently been issuing funds.” The speaker’s office, Navajo President Joe Shirley Jr.’s office and the tribal council receive discretionary funds each year to help Navajo families in emergencies.
And while policies and procedures define what constitutes an emergency, Etcitty said those protocols could have been overlooked.
Speaker pro tem Ervin Keeswood directed the legislative staff to collect documents that contain questionable transactions for analysis by law enforcement authorities.
