Latest news with #ToddChamberlain
CBS News
5 days ago
- CBS News
Boxes of material on Aurora homicide cases recovered from home of retired detective
The Aurora Police Department announced Thursday that numerous boxes of material from old homicide cases were discovered at the home of a former detective. Aurora Police Chief Todd Chamberlain said the department is undergoing an organizational transformation, allowing detectives to revisit cold cases. Chamberlain explained the discovery was made as detectives were reviewing a case from 1997 when they were unable to locate materials that were part of the investigation. When they were unable to find the hard copy files or anything in the digital evidence system, they reached out to the original Major Crimes Homicide Unit detective who worked on the case. The detective worked in the unit from 1996 until 2011, said Chamberlain, and retired from the department in 2022. After the department contacted him, the former detective brought a plastic bag to police headquarters containing numerous documents, VHS tapes, photos and other material from the investigation. The department questioned the former detective and learned that he had material from multiple homicide cases he worked on during his time with the unit. He consented to a search of his home, where officers found boxes of old case files. "In the floorboards of the retired detective's home, we located 30 boxes that were recovered that contained binders, reports, photographs, VHS tapes, handwritten notes, and other documents related to investigations and cases that he had worked," said Chamberlain. Chamberlain asserted that none of the boxes contained physical evidence such as blood, fingerprints or tangible objects connected to these cases. They primarily contained notes, documents, videotapes of interviews and similar material, he added. "As we immediately discovered what was occurring, we got together with parties of the city, with legal counsel, with internal operations, both all of our chiefs, our detective personnel," said Chamberlain. "We looked at the depth and breadth of what we were contending with, and we set about a very specific and very strategic plan of action to make sure that, one, we have accountability for everything that occurred, and then also, we made sure that nothing in the future like this ever happens again." He said the department placed all of the material in a secure area and contacted the District Attorney's Office to ensure the 17th and 18th districts could access and research all of it. Both offices are conducting independent investigations into the materials. The retired detective consented to another search of his home, and authorities said they did not find any further case materials located there. Chamberlain said that, over the course of several months, they checked every item recovered to determine any issues that may arise from the materials that were taken. "We have also worked with our detective personnel, specifically cross-referencing every item that has been impacted, any open investigations, any previous investigations, anything that is ongoing to make sure that none of the information that was gathered in the retired detective's home was pertinent, was impactful, or involved any type of conflict whatsoever," Chamberlain said. He asserted that the recovered materials did not compromise any court cases and that many of the recovered files were redundant, or copies that the retired detective kept. There was also no indication of any wrongdoing, he said. "At this time, our detectives have found that there is no indication that the recovered case material compromised any prosecutions," he stated. "And, again, I want to reiterate that there is no indication at this point that there is anybody that was tried, anybody that was held accountable, any case or any victim, any suspects that were impacted in any way by any of the material that was located in that retired detective's home." He said the department takes responsibility for the poor recordkeeping, stating that "It is without question, unacceptable," and that he will ensure the department does better. Chamberlain said the department has completely updated its case management system to digitize the materials in binders to better maintain and control case data.
Fox News
05-08-2025
- Fox News
Venezuelan suspect 'should never have been in the United States,' police chief says after deadly shooting
Aurora, Colorado, police apprehended a suspect Monday morning in connection with a weekend shooting that left one woman dead and another critically injured. Authorities identified the man as a Venezuelan national who is reportedly in the U.S. without legal status. Authorities had been searching for 30-year-old Michel Jordan Castellano-Fonseca following the early Sunday morning shooting at an apartment located in north-central Aurora. At the time of the incident, five children ranging from ages 1 to 15 were also inside the apartment. Castellano-Fonseca was taken into custody around 6 a.m. near Mississippi Avenue and Chambers Road, according to an Aurora Police Department spokesperson. "The Aurora Police Department is dedicated to eliminating gun violence in our community and remains determined to hold offenders accountable," the department stated, noting that officers had been working nonstop to track down the suspect. Aurora Police Chief Todd Chamberlain called the attack "a tragedy that never should have happened," and stressed the importance of inter-agency cooperation and access to technology to prevent and respond to violent crimes. "This was a heartbreaking and preventable loss of life," Chamberlain said at a Monday press briefing. "The individual responsible should never have been in the United States." Chamberlain identified Castellano-Fonseca as a Venezuelan national who entered the U.S. illegally in 2023, first settling in Florida before relocating to Aurora. He added that the suspect had not initiated any process to obtain legal residency or citizenship. While the suspect was previously cited in Florida for a traffic violation, no other legal action was taken at that time. Chamberlain shared further details about the shooting, suggesting it likely stemmed from a domestic violence incident. According to investigators, the chain of events began Saturday evening, when the suspect, allegedly under the influence of cocaine and alcohol, left the apartment and contacted someone to help him acquire a firearm. Police believe he test-fired the weapon from a vehicle near East Mississippi Avenue and South Chambers Road before returning to the apartment around 3 a.m. When he arrived, a 15-year-old girl answered the door. Castellano-Fonseca allegedly forced his way inside as the women and children attempted to take shelter in a bathroom. According to Chamberlain, the suspect followed them and fired shots, striking two women in the head – one of whom died at the scene. The surviving woman remains hospitalized in critical condition. "Five children – ages 1, 6, 7, 9 and 15 – were subjected to something no child should ever witness," Chamberlain said. Police said the children were not physically harmed during the shooting. After the shooting, Castellano-Fonseca fled in a green Acura MDX SUV with Colorado license plate CV0668. Police issued a public alert, describing him as "armed and dangerous." Investigators utilized surveillance systems to trace the suspect's vehicle and movements. He was eventually located at a Taco Bell, where he was arrested without incident. Chamberlain reiterated that the suspect had a history of violence and accused him of endangering the lives of those he claimed to care for. "This person is now off the streets and in custody," he said. While authorities confirmed that the residents of the apartment were also Venezuelan immigrants, their legal status remains unclear. Victim support services are currently working with them. Chamberlain also spoke on the broader challenges facing law enforcement, including the influx of immigrants to Aurora and the tension between local and federal authorities regarding immigration enforcement. He criticized current restrictions that limit local police cooperation with federal agencies like ICE, particularly following recent legal actions by Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser. "Officers are afraid of being penalized just for cooperating with federal partners," Chamberlain said. "That's a serious concern for local law enforcement trying to deal with rising crime. We are not here to target immigrants. We are here to hold criminals accountable." Stepheny Price is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. She covers topics including missing persons, homicides, national crime cases, illegal immigration, and more. Story tips and ideas can be sent to
The Independent
18-06-2025
- The Independent
Suspected gang members terrorize Colorado apartment complex in shocking doorbell video
Chilling doorbell footage captures suspected gang members terrorizing an apartment complex in Colorado. Video from the Aurora Police Department shows a group of roughly nine individuals lurking outside of an apartment on June 9. Several of the suspects can be seen knocking at the door and aiming their guns. The residents did not open the door and the suspects eventually leave the premises. In a press conference Tuesday (17 June), Aurora Police Chief Todd Chamberlain said the residents who lived in the targeted apartment had just moved in from Venezuela two days prior to the incident. According to Chamberlain, the apartment complex has been the site of repeated criminal activity, with numerous reports of shots fired. Four suspects have been arrested. Police believe the incident is linked to Venezuelan gang activity that is rampant in the Aurora area. However, while Chamberlain noted similarities to the Tren de Aragua (TdA) gang, he reportedly did not confirm that the group is connected.
Yahoo
18-06-2025
- Yahoo
Suspected Tren de Aragua gang members terrorize apartment complex in shocking doorbell video
An armed crew of nine suspected Tren de Aragua (TdA) gang members were caught on camera wreaking havoc at a Colorado apartment complex earlier this month, in an incident Aurora police are calling "very reminiscent" of the violence previously incited in the area by the Venezuelan gang. Doorbell video shows the group pointing guns and repeatedly knocking on an apartment door in a building near 6th Avenue and Potomac Street in Aurora, Colorado, on June 9, Police Chief Todd Chamberlain said during a press conference on Tuesday. "This might sound like déjà vu," Chamberlain said. "… We are addressing this actively, effectively and immediately." The people who lived in the apartment were also from Venezuela and had just moved in two days prior to the incident, Chamberlain noted, acknowledging that it's a good thing the residents did not open the door after hearing the knocking. Two Illegal Venezuelan Immigrants, Suspected Tda Gang Members Charged In Deadly Chicago Mass Shooting "I shudder to think what might have happened to them, but unfortunately that is what we have seen at that apartment complex, and it's what we've been dealing with," he said. Read On The Fox News App Emerging Venezuelan Gang 'More Violent' Than Tren De Aragua Targets Rural America, Expert Warns Following the incident, police began investigating and identifying the suspects in the video. On June 11 and 12, law enforcement arrested two suspects. Four others known to be involved in prior criminal activity were also detained, according to Aurora Police. 11 Alleged Teen Tren De Aragua Gang Members Attack Nypd Officers: Police The investigation to identify and arrest the remaining suspects in the video is ongoing. Since August of last year, the Aurora Police department has received 44 radio calls for service at the apartment complex, which they narrowed down to about 12 separate individual incidents. These calls were related to shots fired, kidnapping, assault, and more, Chamberlain said. "I want everyone to understand and to know that we are ahead of this," Chamberlain said. "This isn't something that we're reacting to. This is something that we are proactively addressing with everything that we can possibly do." The shocking footage comes as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement works to remove TdA from U.S. soil. In February, the U.S. declared TdA a global terrorist organization. Aurora is the third-largest city in Colorado with a population of more than 398,000, according to the City of Aurora website. Last summer, an Aurora apartment complex was at the center of the TdA gang takeover controversy after a viral video showed heavily armed gang members taking over an apartment by busting down the door with heavy artillery. Earlier this year, nine suspected TdA members were charged following a violent home invasion, kidnapping and robbery in Aurora. Aurora Police did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for article source: Suspected Tren de Aragua gang members terrorize apartment complex in shocking doorbell video
CBS News
17-06-2025
- CBS News
Aurora police investigate suspected gang activity at Colorado apartment complex, chief says suspects "must be stopped"
The Aurora Police Department is investigating suspected gang activity at an apartment complex that is reminiscent of last year's Tren de Aragua gang activity at another apartment complex in the Colorado city. The apartment complex in Aurora is near the intersection of 6th Avenue and Potomac Street. CBS During a news conference on Tuesday afternoon, Police Chief Todd Chamberlain spoke about an incident last week involving armed suspects at 544 Potomac Street. He played a video from June 9 showing several people armed with guns positioned in hallways and stairways, many of them knocking repeatedly on a unit's door. Aurora Police "The one thing I think is the positive about this is the individuals who had just moved into that apartment complex did not open that door," said Chamberlain. "Had they opened that door, I shudder to think of what might have happened to them." Chamberlain said the people living in that unit had moved from Venezuela just two days before, and he believes they are being victimized by others who also immigrated from Venezuela. "They are picking on a community that they are versed in. They are picking on a community that is the immigrant population in the city of Aurora. They are picking on a community that are primarily Venezuelan," said the chief. The police chief explained the June 9 incident was not the first time Aurora police had responded to the apartment complex near 6th Avenue and Potomac Street. Calls for service began in August 2024, he said, for at least 12 separate incidents including shots fired, squatters, assaults and a kidnapping. Chamberlain said the video was given to police by a neighbor. That video helped officers execute a search warrant on June 11, and officers also passed out flyers -- in English and Spanish -- and spoke to people living in the building about the concerning activity. Chamberlain noted that while there are problems in the complex, it is not a problem location. During their search, Chamberlain said detectives found a firearm and a red hoodie that was used by one of the suspects seen in the surveillance video. That suspect, 23-year-old Larry Galbreath, was arrested and faces charges including felony menacing with a firearm and violation of a protection order. Aurora Police Chamberlain explained Galbreath lives in the apartment complex and told police he was tattooed, or "marked," by a Venezuelan. "They are building networks by using other people," Chamberlain said of the influx of gang activity in that area. Police believe there are at least nine people involved in this incident, two of whom are now in custody, including Galbreath. Investigators are actively working to identify the others and take them into custody. While Chamberlain could not definitively say if this latest gang activity is Tren de Aragua, he said it is "disturbing" and he will use every resource he can -- local, state, and federal -- to hold them accountable. "The reason that I am sharing this video now is because I want everyone to understand and know that we are ahead of this. This isn't something that we are reacting to, this is something that we are proactively addressing," Chamberlain said. "I look at these individuals like a cancer. They are not a benign cancer, they are a cancer that is causing victimization, they are cancer that must be addressed, they must be cut out and they must be stopped." Chamberlain said, unlike the incident at the apartment complex last summer, the property owners and management company are cooperating with this investigation.
