Pueblo mom reacts to son being robbed at gunpoint, police arrest one woman

PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) -- As three students from South High School were walking home from school on Wednesday afternoon, they were robbed at gunpoint. Multiple suspects took their backpacks, shoes, and phones.

Pueblo Police tell 13 Investigates one woman has been arrested and multiple others have been detained and questioned. Thursday, 13 Investigates spoke with Sabrina Valdez. Her son was one of three South High students robbed in broad daylight.

Valdez said she witnessed her son and friends walking down her street, the 1900 block of Sherwood Ln. She saw a red car pull up and speak with the group of students. Moments later, her son came running home saying he had been robbed at gunpoint by people inside the red car.

"All three boys, their backpacks and shoes were gone. They were telling me that the car pulled up to them and demanded their stuff," Valdez said. "One of them pointed the gun at the boy's head, the other one held the gun to a boy's chest and the driver had the gun pointed to the kids."

The red Toyota Rav 4 was caught on a nearby surveillance video making a U-turn on Sherwood Ln.

According to Pueblo Police, the car was stolen out of Colorado Springs. One of the suspects was found and detained in Colorado Springs after the robbery as well. This suspect was identified by Pueblo Police as 18-year-old Amour Velazquez.

"It's hard as a parent. I live a block away from the school and I just thank god that all three of the kids cooperated," Valdez said. "They gave up what they asked for because god only knows what could have happened to them. They could have shot them."

Pueblo Police Sergeant Franklyn Ortega tells 13 Investigates there is evidence that the suspects robbed multiple other people in Pueblo Wednesday afternoon. Police are in the process of contacting those people and gathering additional evidence.

Valdez also expressed her frusteration over South High School and surrounding schools not being placed on a lockdown status. She claims students were still in the building when the robbery occured.

"It happened to my at 3:41, I called police about 3:50, the other kids had their stuff taken at gunpoint a little after 4, school didn't get out until 4:20, why wasn't it put in a lockdown," Valdez questioned.

In a statement a District 60 spokesperson said:

"Wednesday's incident took place several blocks from the school after students had been released for the day.  Because the incident did not happen on school grounds and with students dismissed, the District was not immediately aware as to what transpired. In such matters, we always work directly with our community partner, the Pueblo Police Department, and as information becomes available, we develop a plan to communicate it out to our school communities. Although the incident involved students at South High School, we felt it was important to share the information of what transpired with all families and staff of D60." 

-- District 60 Spokesperson

Pueblo police say the robbery is still an active investigation at this time.

"We have several people that we are building a case on right now," Sgt. Ortega said. "We are still piecing all of the information together right now."

They expect to make additional arrests, some may be juvenile suspects.