A mother called the El Paso County Sheriff’s Department concerned about her children this afternoon, only to have her worst fears realized. The children were found dead and their father was killed by deputies, according to authorities.
The two children died, likely at their father’s hand, in Crystal Park south of Manitou Springs and west of Colorado Springs.
When deputies arrived at the home in the 6200 block of Waterfall Loop before 5 p.m., they knocked on the door and got no answer. When they looked in the windows, they saw two children, ages 2 and 5, “with obvious injuries,” said Lt. Lari Sevene of the El Paso County Sheriff’s office.
The officers kicked in the door to check on the children, who were unconscious but still alive.
Shortly after radioing in the discovery the children, deputies called back to dispatch to say they had been confronted by the father and were forced to shoot, Sevene said.
The children died from their injuries a short time later. The Sheriff’s Department isn’t yet identifying them or the father, while the investigation in the home continued and family members were notified.
The mother had called for help because “she was concerned about some of the statements the (father) had made about the children,” Sevene said.
Joey Bunch: 303-954-1174 or jbunch@denverpost.com
