A timeline of events, many contained in an arrest warrant affidavit, involving a Colorado Springs woman suspected of making false abuse claims in Colorado. Rozita Swinton, 33, is listed as a “person of interest” in a Texas investigation into a polygamist retreat. Swinton used a telephone number that was later used to report alleged abuse at the retreat in west Texas, according to the affidavit released Wednesday.
— June 2005: Swinton is arrested in Castle Rock, Colo., after she contacts an adoption center and authorities, claiming to be a 16-year-old named Jessica who was suicidal after giving birth, Castle Rock police say. She later pleads guilty to false reporting and receives a deferred sentence.
—September 2006: A counselor at Rampart High School in Colorado Springs tells police a student identified as “April” called her and claimed she was sexually abused by her father and uncle. Similar calls were made by an “April” to a safe house for domestic abuse survivors in Washington state. The calls were later connected to Swinton, according to the Colorado Springs police document released Wednesday.
—Oct. 21, 2007: A “Dana Anderson” begins a series of calls to a Colorado Springs safe house. Anderson reports she is in her teens and, at various times, claims she is being abused by a pastor at a prominent church and by her father. A counselor at the safe house, Jennifer Pierce, continued communication with Anderson over several weeks, eventually helping police conclude that Anderson is Swinton, the affidavit says.
—Oct. 23, 2007: Through Pierce, Colorado Springs police Detective. Terry Thrumston speaks to Anderson on a three-way call. Thrumston speaks to the woman several times over the next week. He connects phone numbers used by the woman to numbers used to file five reports of abuse in Longmont, Colo., and two reports in Pueblo, Colo.—all from earlier that year.
—Feb. 26, 2008: Colorado Springs officers receive a call from a girl who claims to be 4 years old and is locked in her basement. Officers conduct a door-to-door search for the girl but do not find her. During the search, they are contacted by Pierce, who says she knows whom they are looking for.
—March 4: Pierce meets with police and explains that “Dana Anderson” has continued to call her. Pierce tells police that Anderson said she had another personality named “Rozita.” Anderson has also been calling from a new number that police match to the Feb. 26 call to 911 and to calls made to a crisis hot line in Texas.
—March 29: A series of phone calls begins to the crisis hot line in Texas. A woman who identifies herself as 16-year-old Sarah Barlow says she is being physically and sexually abused at the Yearning for Zion Ranch.
—April 3: Texas authorities raid the Yearning for Zion Ranch. They take more than 400 children into custody.
—April 13-14: Texas Rangers call Colorado Springs police as part of their investigation. A ranger reports two numbers with Colorado Springs area codes. One of them—”possibly related to the reporting party”—matches the number used to call 911 on Feb. 26 and used to call Pierce.
—April 16: Colorado Springs police arrest Swinton and search her residence in connection to the Feb. 26 call. Two Texas Rangers observe the arrest but return to Texas without making an arrest. Authorities in Texas later call Swinton a “person of interest.”
—April 23: An arrest warrant affidavit is released, stating that Swinton used a telephone number that was later used to report alleged abuse at the polygamist retreat. It isn’t clear whether authorities suspect Swinton made the calls that triggered the raid of the compound.
