CRIME & SAFETY

Two incidents occurred in Loveland, Colorado this week. In the first incident, a 19-year-old motorcyclist died after crashing into a vehicle on South Taft Avenue. Bystanders attempted CPR, but the motorcyclist could not be saved. In the second incident, a Loveland man was sentenced to seven years in prison for chasing another man with a machete in Fort Collins. The victim shot the man in self-defense, and he was later found in California after fleeing the state.

10:05 a.m. A report was taken reference a burglary, criminal trespass, and theft in the 900 block of Granite Court. There are no known suspects. 11:40 a.m. Officers responded to the 600 block of 15th Avenue for three small children locked in a vehicle. The children were removed from the vehicle and Child Protective Services were notified.

Sep. 20—A 16-year-old was arrested after reportedly firing several shots Tuesday morning on Collyer Street. According to Longmont Public Safety spokesperson Robin Ericson, officers responded to the area of Eighth Avenue and Collyer Street at 7:56 a.m. on a shots-fired call. Witnesses reported hearing three to five shots being fired.

The Larimer County Sheriff's Office has released new details into a suspicious death investigation after the body of Paul Gallenstein was found near Horsetooth Reservoir earlier this month. The coroner said that Gallenstein, 64, was shot. Deputies were called to Foothills Trail near the reservoir about 10:18 a.m. on Sept. 10 on a report of a person lying on the trail. When first responders located the man, he was deceased. The Larimer County Coroner's Office identified the man as Gallenstein of Fort Collins. Investigators have not revealed the manner of death, however, even after the coroner said that he had been shot. A weapon...

The Loveland man arrested for chasing another man with a machete in Old Town Fort Collins last fall has been sentenced to prison. Francisco Saenz, now 37, pleaded guilty Wednesday to attempted first-degree assault, a Class 4 felony, and was sentenced to 7 years in prison. The attempted murder charge Saenz initially faced was dismissed as part of a plea agreement with the district attorney's office.

On September 21, 2023, a collision between a bicycle and a vehicle took place. The location was East Prospect Road and Welch Street in Fort Collins. The local 911 service received a report about the incident around 5:20 am. The cyclist, an adult woman, sustained severe injuries. The truck involved in the accident was parked nearby.

Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional information from Fort Collins Police Services. Fort Collins first responders closed westbound Prospect Road at its intersection with Riverside Avenue for approximately five hours following a vehicle versus bicycle crash early Thursday. Police said the crash was between an e-bike and Toyota Tacoma truck and...

The speed limit has been reduced on a well-traveled road in Timnath where a 10-year-old boy was fatally struck by a vehicle last month. The town reduced the speed limit from 40 mph to 35 mph Sept. 14 on River Pass Road from Three Bell Parkway on the west to Summerfields Parkway on the east, Timnath Police Chief Terry Jones said.

“Help! Hurry! My friend went under out there! ” A breathless man clings to his overturned kayak in Loveland Reservoir, pleading for help from a team of Berthoud firefighters who have just arrived on the northern shore of the lake. The man struggles to stay above water. “I tried to get to him,” he yells desperately to the firefighters on shore, “but I’m too tired. Please help him!”

Fatal motorcycle crashes are on the rise in Larimer County. The county saw its 10th motorcycle fatality this year over the weekend in south Loveland. Police said a 19-year-old man was killed Saturday night in a collision at South Taft Avenue and Carlisle Drive. The Coloradoan reports data shows this time last year, the county had seen eight fatal motorcycle crashes. Statewide, motorcycle fatalities have hit 106 – down from 122 this time last year. The state ended 2022 with 149 motorcycle deaths.

Trial got underway Tuesday for a man who allegedly plotted with a woman to kill her ex-boyfriend. A.J. Ritchie faces charges of first-degree murder in the shooting death of Jason Schaefer, who was a mail carrier in Longmont. Police say Ritchie conspired with Devan Schreiner to kill her ex, Schaefer. The Boulder Daily Camera reports he’s accused of helping Schreiner commit the murder by tracking and stalking Schaefer. Schreiner was convicted of first-degree murder in March and sentenced to life in prison. Police said she pulled the trigger that killed Schaefer while he was delivering mail in Longmont in 2021. The two were involved in a custody dispute at the time of his murder.

WINDSOR, Colo. – On Friday, Sept. 15, at approximately 1:40 pm, Windsor Police responded to Colorado Blvd. near Ridge West Dr., for a traffic accident involving a pedestrian and a vehicle. The pedestrian was transported to a nearby hospital with serious injuries. The driver of the vehicle remained at the scene and spoke with officers. Police are asking anyone who may have witnessed the accident to contact Officer Cole Salinas with the Traffic Safety Unit at (970) 674-6407 or by email at [email protected].Visit here for more details.

Sep. 18—A man who reportedly killed himself while fleeing Longmont police Thursday night has been identified by the Boulder County Coroner's Office as Marco Zavala, 37. Police said Zavala shot himself in his vehicle in the 1400 block of Coffman Street. The vehicle then struck three parked cars. According...

Editor’s note: This article has been updated to correct the date of the crash. An Airwolf paraglider aircraft crashed near the runway at Erie’s Parkland Estates Airpark on Wednesday morning. A witness called police and Mountain View Fire Rescue responded to the crash at about 9:20 a.m. at...

Sep. 18—Longmont police are investigating a reported stabbing late Saturday night on Main Street. According to a police report, the stabbing was called in at 11:34 p.m. in the 1700 block of Main Street. The report did not contain any information about injuries. The report said one man was...

In a recent court decision, a former Colorado police officer, Jordan Steinke, who placed a handcuffed woman in the back of a police car on train tracks, narrowly avoided jail time. The incident occurred when a high-speed train collided with the car, causing serious injuries to the woman, Yareni Rios-Gonzalez. Steinke was sentenced to 30 months of supervised probation and 100 hours of community service after being found guilty of reckless endangerment and assault, both misdemeanors. Notably, she was acquitted of a felony attempt to commit manslaughter charge.

Alternatives to Violence, a key nonprofit in Loveland, Colorado, offers extensive aid to survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking. The increased need for their support is clear, their safe house is always full and they responded to 1,400 crisis calls in the last year alone. The organization offers more than just immediate safety - they also focus on long-term recovery. Services range from providing temporary shelter to assisting with basic daily needs like children's transportation, groceries, and utility bills.

LARIMER COUNTY, Colo. — Dozens of new charges have been filed against a paraprofessional who was already accused of assaulting four children on a school bus while he worked for the Poudre School District. On Tuesday, the district attorney's office added 35 additional charges against Tyler Zanella. He now...

The Longmont Leader receives a police report from Longmont Public Safety daily. The police notes are published in full with occasional modifications to exact addresses, individual names and spelling. Please note that the category that the crime is labeled as is limited by police software based on the information the dispatcher receives when the call is made. Longmont Public Safety may edit the category as more information is learned about each case.

A surge of violence plagued Denver recently, leaving one person dead and prompting widespread concern. Twenty-two-year-old, Michael Gawain Jackson, has been apprehended by Denver Police. He faces allegations of carrying out a fatal shooting and causing a vehicle crash on September 19.