The Denver Post | Daniel Petty

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October 27, 2009 by Daniel Petty

Cold kills fish in Cherry Creek

By HOWARD PANKRATZ, DANIEL PETTY and BRUCE FINLEY

DENVER — A major fish kill that occurred in Cherry Creek in downtown Denver today was a “natural occurring event,” according to Jennifer Churchill of the Colorado Division of Wildlife.

The fish that died were young gizzard shad, which are extremely susceptible to cooler temperatures, said Churchill. Cooler temperatures associated with an approaching winter storm, plus lower waters in Cherry Creek, caused the young fish to die, said Churchill.

“They are notorious for being done in by cooler temperatures,” said Churchill.

Meghan Hughes, spokeswoman for the Denver Environmental Health Department, said the number of fish that have died are “between the upper hundreds to a few thousand.”

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October 23, 2009 by Daniel Petty

Man fatally shot in restaurant on 16th Street Mall

DENVER — A man was fatally shot Thursday just yards off Denver’s popular 16th Street Mall, closing two blocks of Welton Street for two hours in the middle of a busy workday afternoon.

The unidentified man was pronounced dead at Denver Health Medical Center after suffering multiple gunshot wounds in a restaurant after an apparent altercation involving three or four people, police said.

Denver police spokeswoman Loretta Beauvais said the shooting occurred at 3:37 p.m. at Chopsticks & Sushi, a Japanese-Chinese restaurant at 1630 Welton St.

After Thursday’s shooting, police closed Welton Street to traffic between 15th and 17th streets until about 5:45 p.m. Dozens of bystanders crowded against yellow police tape to survey the scene.

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October 23, 2009 by Daniel Petty

La Familia arrests include 6 on Western Slope

DENVER — Six people living on the Western Slope who are suspected associates or members of La Familia have been arrested as part of the orchestrated drug raids nationwide, authorities said Thursday.

Three others thought to be connected to La Familia were arrested Tuesday night on state drug charges, but authorities expect to file federal charges in the coming days, said Jeff Dorsch ner, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Colorado.

On July 23, a federal grand jury in Denver on July 23 indicted 11 suspects on charges of conspiracy, possession with intent to distribute and distribution of cocaine, a statement by U.S. Attorney David Gaouette and special agent Jeffrey Sweetin of the Drug Enforcement Administration said.

Four suspects were arrested in July, and two more in September, while five more remain at large. The three arrested Tuesday are not part of the July indictment.

The suspects are being held in pre-trial detention, and a trial date has not been set.

The six arrestees are Martin Pimintel, 45, and Rosalie Aide Quijada, 27, both of Tucson, Ariz.; Tiburcio Delgadillo-Martinez, 33, Salvador Delgadillo-Alvarez, 29, and Jorge Rosales-Acevedo, 28, all of New Castle; and Justin Skipski, 28, of Rifle.

Authorities did not name the three arrested on Tuesday. Those still at large are Emanuel Pimintel, 19, of Tucson; Daniel Velasz quez-Guerrero, 36, of Pontiac, Mich.; and Salvador Vera-Figueroa, 37, Lucio Topete-Hernandez, 49, and Araceli Topete, all of Mexico.

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October 14, 2009 by Daniel Petty

Mule deer gores woman near Florissant

DENVER — A young buck mule deer gored a 63-year-old woman near Florissant on Monday after she apparently called to the animal in an attempt to pet him.

A motorist came to the aid of Joan Nutt by driving up to the house and honking his horn to scare the buck away, said Michael Seraphin, a spokesman for the Division of Wildlife.

Wildlife officials fear someone had been feeding the deer, which wasn’t afraid of humans. The deer was euthanized.

Nutt was treated at Pikes Peak Regional Medical Center in Woodland Park. The deer’s antlers and hooves left cuts on her elbow and lower arm, in addition to minor wounds on her hands, upper leg, stomach and hip. She was released from the hospital after surgeons placed a pin in one of her arms, Seraphin said.

A news release from the Division of Wildlife detailed what happened:

Nutt was visiting her sister’s home when she called to the deer, which came closer, lowered his head and charged the woman. She grabbed one of the deer’s antlers in an attempt to fend him off, but he knocked her down before she could escape.

The passing motorist and his passenger saw what was happening and were able to scare the animal away, then contact the Teller County Sheriff’s Office.

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October 6, 2009 by Daniel Petty

Highlands Ranch mourns teen who died in run

LITTLETON, Colo. — Quinton Sanford never let self-doubt hold him back.

He planned to attend the Air Force Academy and act in a movie alongside Will Smith. He was a member of the Highlands Ranch High School wrestling and cross country teams. Although he was neither the fastest runner nor the strongest wrestler, he didn’t let that trouble him. He did it all while living with autism.

Sanford, a 15-year-old sophomore, died Wednesday after collapsing during a run with the cross country team.

An autopsy was inconclusive about cause of death. Additional test results are expected in seven to nine weeks.

On Monday, hundreds of his high school peers were among the mourners at Pax Christi Catholic Church for his funeral. It was a poignant display of how a young man with a heart bigger than his disability had become one of the school’s most beloved students.

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October 3, 2009 by Daniel Petty

Buffs’ Barringer breaks Goucher’s 9-year-old course record at Shootout

BOULDER, Colo. — Saturday was a symbolic transition of sorts for Jenny Barringer, racing for the last time as a collegiate athlete before her hometown Boulder crowd — one that has watched her flourish from a top performer for Colorado as a freshman, to a world contender and American-record holder as a senior.

Barringer broke the Buffaloes’ home course record Saturday at the 24th Rocky Mountain Shootout cross country meet, charging to the lead moments after the start and finishing the 5.8-kilometer course in 19 minutes, 25 seconds.

Her performance smashed the previous mark of 19:38 set in 2000 by Kara Grgas-Wheeler (now Goucher), one of today’s pre-eminent American women’s distance runners, who began building her early career at CU under head coach Mark Wetmore.

“I know how hard this course is, and how hard she ran, how good of a shape she was was in when she was here running hard,” Barringer said of Goucher. “To be able to run even close to what she ran is a good mark of my fitness right now, and I’m really excited about it.”

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October 3, 2009 by Daniel Petty

Video: Barringer sets course record at Shootout

BOULDER, Colo. — University of Colorado senior Jenny Barringer, the American record-holder in the 3,000 meter steeplechase, broke the school’s home course record on Saturday in her final home race as a collegiate athlete. For Colorado’s men’s team, senior Kenyon Neuman won in 24 minutes, 51 seconds to tie for the 11th fastest time in course history.

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October 2, 2009 by Daniel Petty

Highlands Ranch High students mourn wrestler, runner who died during annual race

DENVER — For so many of his friends, he was just Q-man — a superhero of sorts, a boy who lifted spirits and radiated cheer and charm.

And on Wednesday he was gone. Fifteen-year-old Quinton Sanford, a wrestler and cross country runner at Highlands Ranch High School, collapsed that afternoon during a school-sponsored run along the High Line Canal.

Friends said his father, who was present at the race, performed CPR, but Quinton died en route to the hospital.

For much of the school, Thursday was a day of mourning. Word of the sophomore’s death spread quickly.

Students came to school donning black, many crying throughout the day. Grief-stricken teachers couldn’t make it through class. The school already endured the loss of another student a few weeks ago.

A preliminary autopsy by the Arapahoe County coroner’s office was inconclusive. Additional test results are expected in eight to 10 weeks.

“If he just started talking to you, you would get a smile,” said 15-year-old sophomore Taylor Snow. “He was always happy, and he loved everyone.”

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September 28, 2009 by Daniel Petty

High-speed chase ends in crash near 16th Street Mall

DENVER — A high-speed chase through downtown Denver early Sunday morning ended when the driver of the fleeing vehicle wrapped it around a traffic signal pole, sending the four people in the car to the hospital, authorities say.

A Denver police officer saw the four people get into an altercation with another individual on Lawrence Street downtown.

One of the four allegedly drew a weapon, possibly a handgun, before the group got into the car, said Lt. Scott M. Kaye, commander of the Denver Police Department’s traffic investigations unit.

“An armed person who displays a weapon at other people meets the criteria for pursuit,” Kaye said, speaking from the scene.

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September 16, 2009 by Daniel Petty

Forest rangers alter warning to hikers

DENVER — U.S. Forest Service officials apologized again Tuesday for what they called “regrettable references” about Latinos during a news conference last month.

“We sincerely apologize to the Hispanic community and anyone else we may have offended.” Rick Cables, a forester with the Rocky Mountain Region of the Forest Service, said in a statement. “That was not our intent.”

This was the second time the Forest Service apologized for an Aug. 26 incident during which Gil Quintana, special agent in charge of law enforcement in the Rocky Mountain Region, briefed reporters, the public and drug enforcement officers about pot-growing operations in the Pike National Forest.

Forest rangers have said that the growing operations could be a safety hazard for hikers who may stumble upon armed farmers in the woods.

Quintana used PowerPoint slides to discuss warning signs of drug-related activity. The slides said hikers should be aware of food wrappers on the trail, including “tortilla packaging, beer cans, Spam, tuna, Tecate beer cans, etc.” — and campers playing Spanish music, among other signs.

The presentation also noted the warning signs “may or may not represent criminal activities, but are indicators.”

Latino leaders quickly condemned the remarks, calling them discriminatory and saying they could put Latino campers in danger. The Forest Service apologized and retracted the warnings soon thereafter.

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