Latest news with #VicenteArenas
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Yahoo
2 flee after car crashes into Aurora home on Wednesday afternoon
DENVER (KDVR) — Two people ran from the scene after police said a car lost control and crashed into a home in Aurora on Wednesday. The Aurora Police Department told FOX31 that officers responded to a report of a crash at 11 a.m. at the corner of South Peoria Street and East Alaska Avenue. This is in the Aurora Hills neighborhood, down the road from the Aurora Hills Golf Course. FOX31 Newsletters: Sign up to get breaking news sent to your inbox FOX31's Vicente Arenas is on the scene where neighbors said this isn't the first time this house, and surrounding houses, have been hit by a car. One neighbor told Arenas that cars drive very fast on the road, even though the speed limit is 35 mph. Car crashes into Aurora home (KDVR) Car crashes into Aurora home (KDVR) Police said that based on preliminary information, a white Jeep, possibly a Grand Cherokee, was driving northbound on Peoria Street when it lost control and crashed into the house. Two people reportedly ran westbound into the neighborhood after the crash, but after a search, officers were unable to find them. Police said there is no indication that the car was stolen, although it hasn't been fully removed from the home as of noon Wednesday. No one was home at the time of the crash and there are no reported injuries. However, there is debris on the roadway. Southbound Peoria Street is closed as of noon with no estimated time to reopen, but the northbound street remains open. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver.
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Yahoo
Market Street shooting that injured 4 leads to questions about downtown policing
DENVER (KDVR) — A Sunday night shooting in the 1900 block of Market Street is raising concerns after four people were injured, and neighbors say this is one of many violent incidents that began in a nearby parking lot. The area is part of Denver's Union Station neighborhood and Ballpark District, which is home to many nightclubs, bars and other establishments. The shooting was reported by the Denver Police Department at about 9:24 p.m. on Sunday, with officials initially saying that only three people were injured. Driver arrested after deadly crash involving electric scooter On Monday, FOX31 learned there was a fourth person who experienced a bullet graze and was transported to a local hospital by a private vehicle. One resident of a nearby apartment building told FOX31's Vicente Arenas that something has to be done to curtail crime in the Ballpark District. 'It's sad and frustrating because maybe there's not enough police help to patrol the area,' Downtown resident Derek Parks said. A video obtained by FOX31 of the incident shows a person being lifted from a sidewalk and helped into a waiting SUV. But it was not clear if this person was hurt by gunfire. Another video showed people running and yelling as they ran from the shooting scene. Arenas also spoke with several people who say this type of shooting is happening way too often. Another resident said gunfire and shootings are a common occurrence every weekend. 'The bars are the problem, unfortunately. I know they are huge, fun spot for everybody, but you are bringing people into the city that hang out there cause crime there,' Downtown resident Alyssa Mance said. In early April, the city of Denver established a new safety effort that included the area where the shootings have been a problem. Denver to increase downtown police presence in effort to invigorate area 'Safety is a top priority of our administration, which is why we recently launched the Safe Downtown Action Plan to bring more resources and patrols to our city center and ensure incidents like these are rare and isolated. We are glad to know all parties are expected to recover and know the Denver Police Department is working swiftly to bring those accountable to justice. As this is an ongoing investigation, we encourage you to reach out to DPD for additional information,' A spokesperson for Mayor Mike Johnston's office said in a written statement. 'This one was a little bit different because of the sounds of the gunshots were different,' said downtown resident Monica Pagan. 'The first one was 'pop pop'. But this one sounded more of an automatic.' Residents say a lot of the problems start in a large parking lot and are now circulating a petition to shut it down. They are not hopeful that shootings like this will slow down anytime soon. The Denver Police Department turned down FOX31's request for an on-camera interview about the shooting. No word on any arrests so far. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
DOJ sues Colorado, Denver for so-called ‘sanctuary laws'
DENVER (KDVR) — The U.S. Department of Justice is suing the state of Colorado and the city of Denver for laws and statutes the federal government says are 'sanctuary laws.' The federal government alleges in its lawsuit, filed in Colorado District Court on Friday, that the laws are designed to 'interfere with and discriminate against the Federal Government's enforcement of federal immigration law.' FOX31 Newsletters: Sign up to get breaking news sent to your inbox The lawsuit specifically mentions the troubled Aurora apartment complexes that went viral after a video showing armed men in a stairwell was first reported on by FOX31's Vicente Arenas. The men in the video were later connected to Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan gang that's been publicized during recent immigration efforts under President Donald Trump. The lawsuit argues that federal immigration law preempts state law. Colorado has a law that prevents local law enforcement from enforcing federal immigration law, among other things, and it has been decried by many law enforcement advocates and at least three members of U.S. Congress. 'But the Sanctuary Laws were enacted for the sole purpose of impeding the Federal Government's ability to enforce immigration law and remove illegal aliens,' the lawsuit alleges. 'These sanctuary policies have 'tied the hands of law enforcement, emboldened dangerous criminals and left [Colorado's] communities vulnerable.'' The lawsuit specifically names Gov. Jared Polis, Attorney General Phil Weiser, Denver Sheriff Elias Diggins and Denver Mayor Mike Johnston. The mayor's office provided FOX31 with a statement, which said: 'Denver will not be bullied or blackmailed, least of all by an administration that has little regard for the law and even less for the truth. We follow all laws local, state, and federal and stand ready to defend our values.' Denver Mayor's Office The Colorado Governor's Office also spoke out against the lawsuit. The statement was released Friday afternoon to FOX31. 'Colorado is not a sanctuary state. The State of Colorado works with local, state and federal law enforcement regularly and we value our partnerships with local, county and federal law enforcement agencies to make Colorado safer. If the courts say that any Colorado law is not valid then we will follow the ruling. We are not going to comment on the merits of the lawsuit.' Colorado Governor's Office spokesperson The laws, as previously reported by FOX31, include: House Bill 19-1124, 'Protect Colorado Residents From Federal Government Overreach,' according to the text, allows law enforcement to cooperate or assist federal immigration authorities in the execution of a federal warrant, but prohibits law enforcement from arresting or detaining individuals based solely on a civil immigration detainer The measure also stops probation officers from giving someone's personal information to federal immigration authorities The measure also ensures that individuals who are to be interviewed via telephone or video by a federal immigration authority are informed of their rights House Bill 23-1100, 'Restrict Government Involvement in Immigration Detention,' prevents state or local government agency employees from entering into intergovernmental agreements allowing for law enforcement to rent bed space to ICE The measure also terminated two such agreements in the state The lawsuit alleges that the Denver statutes and Colorado laws are impeding federal immigration operations. Last weekend, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents joined local law enforcement in a raid of a Colorado Springs nightclub. Federal officials said they detained over 100 people and alleged that many were undocumented immigrants. The lawsuit notes that one of Colorado's laws prohibits state and local governments from being involved in immigration detention. The lawsuit says that currently, the ICE immigration detention center in Aurora is the only location where ICE can detain individuals within Colorado. 'Because ICE's Denver Field Office covers the entire states of Colorado and Wyoming, and the federal government can no longer temporarily house detainees in county detention facilities, immigration officers are forced to travel long distances, even at late hours and in poor weather conditions, to transport people to the Aurora facility,' the lawsuit states. '(F)ederal immigration authorities have to release individuals that it otherwise would detain or alternatively incur significant transport expenses that it would not have incurred prior to CRS 24-76.7-103.' The complaint also says that Colorado's laws 'impede DHS's ability to readily obtain from local law enforcement the release date' of undocumented immigrants that DHS believes are removable from the U.S. The lawsuit says that because of this, federal immigration officers are forced to 'engage in difficult and dangerous efforts to re-arrest' or 'determine that it is not appropriate to transfer' an undocumented immigrant to local custody in order to enforce immigration law. The DOJ is seeking a judgment that says Colorado and Denver's provisions violate the Supremacy Clause, which states 'the activities of the Federal Government are free from regulation by any state.' This is a developing story and will be updated as new information is obtained. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Yahoo
2 of 3 killed in Weld County crash identified by coroner
DENVER (KDVR) — Three people were killed in a crash in Weld County on Wednesday, and the Coroner's office released two of their identities on Friday. The crash happened around 3 p.m. on Highway 85 in Platteville. Colorado State Patrol and the Weld County Sheriff's Office said that a GMC Yukon was driving northbound on Highway 85 and crossed into oncoming traffic at Highway 60, crashing head-on with a Toyota 4Runner. The crash caused a gas leak and a fire. CSP said troopers tried to separate the burning vehicles using a push bumper and attempted to put out the fire with fire extinguishers, but all occupants in the vehicles died. The driver of the Yukon was identified as Kayla Dickinson, 37, of Evans. The passenger's identity has not been released pending next-of-kin notification. The driver of the 4Runner was identified as Christine Ann Schwarz, 57, of Mead. A deputy was treated for minor injuries on the scene and a CSP cruiser was damaged in efforts to separate the vehicles. The Weld County School District RE-1 told FOX31 on Friday that a La Salle North Valley Middle School seventh-grade science teacher was among those who died in the crash. The school's website lists Christine Schwarz among its staff. The school's superintendent told FOX31's Vicente Arenas in an interview that the district canceled classes on Thursday and Friday after the crash. Several members of the small community told Arenas that the death has hit the community hard. According to the Colorado Department of Education, there are about 1,700 students in the entire district, which includes six schools spread across three towns on Highway 85. CSP said in a press release Thursday that deputies with the Weld County Sheriff's Office were pursuing a suspected stolen GMC Yukon on northbound Highway 85 before the crash. The sheriff's office said in a release Thursday that a deputy had pulled the driver over, and when the deputy approached the vehicle, they drove off at a high rate of speed. At some point while the deputy was trying to locate the vehicle, WCSO said the fleeing driver crossed into oncoming traffic and hit the other vehicle. The Weld County Sheriff's Office told FOX31's Vicente Arenas that they are not sure if the crash was related to a pursuit, but an investigation is underway. CSP's Vehicular Crimes Unit is investigating the crash, and the sheriff's office said it is conducting an internal investigation into the circumstances leading up to the crash. FOX31 is working to gather more information and will provide updates. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Yahoo
Passenger sues American Airlines, alleging negligence led to plane fire at DIA
DENVER (KDVR) — A Texas man is suing American Airlines, alleging the airline's negligence led to an aircraft fire on March 13 and caused him to be transported to a local emergency department. The fire occurred at Denver International Airport when an aircraft that took off from the Colorado Springs airport was diverted from its original destination of Dallas Fort Worth airport. Pilots told air traffic controllers that they were sensing high engine vibrations and the plane was cruising 'slower than normal.' Over 170 people on the plane used emergency slides to evacuate the aircraft. 2nd detainee who escaped ICE facility in Aurora arrested: US Marshals Service The lawsuit alleges that the plane's crew denied assistance from Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting vehicles, and after landing, taxiied for about eight minutes toward gate C38. The lawsuit says this is when the jet engine caught fire. That prompted the first emergency calls to air traffic control, according to the complaint, with crew members calling 'Mayday, mayday! Engine fire!' The passenger alleges in his lawsuit that when the plane came to a stop, that's when passengers began to see flames and smoke outside their windows. He said that before that, passengers were unaware of the fire. 'Smoke began to fill the cabin and passengers began screaming, pushing, and jumping in an attempt to escape the burning aircraft,' the lawsuit complaint states. A separate passenger on the airplane told FOX31's Vicente Arenas that there was an announcement made about engine vibrations, causing the plane to divert to Denver. She said that while the plane was in the air, she did not see any fire, and didn't know there was potential for a life-threatening problem until the plane came to a stop. Parker mother prayed over child thrown from car hit by drunk driver 'It was just a mess. No one realized the plane was on fire from the wing forward, so they were just getting their luggage like a normal exiting of a plane. When my window started melting, I started screaming, 'The plane is on fire! Get off the plane!'' Watson told Arenas. The complaint says that this is when the passenger who filed the lawsuit was able to make his way 'through the chaos' and exited the aircraft by sliding down an emergency evacuation slide. He said that during this exit, he inhaled 'copious' amounts of smoke and fire retardant. He was one of 12 people who were transported to hospitals for minor injuries, according to DIA. The lawsuit says the airline was negligent in a number of areas that led to the fire, including: Did not use reasonable care in operating the aircraft Did not return to Colorado Springs as opposed to diverting to DIA Did not follow FAA-approved standard operating procedures Failed to request timely emergency assistance Failed to evacuate passengers away from the burning engine The lawsuit also alleges that American Airlines failed to properly train its employees on maintaining and operating the aircraft, and then failed to monitor the employees to ensure they followed proper procedures, including emergency exit procedures. The passenger is looking for a jury trial in the matter. FOX31 has reached out to American Airlines for comment on the litigation. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
