Suspect arrested after hours-long manhunt in Colorado mountains
The suspect, who was the subject of an hours-long search in Colorado's mountains, was arrested on Tuesday afternoon. According to the Eagle County Sheriff's Office, Kenny Espinosa was taken into custody.
I-70 was closed in two counties in Colorado's high country for several hours on Tuesday for a manhunt after a shooting involving deputies. The closure was in Eagle and Garfield counties along a 33-mile stretch between Glenwood Springs and Gypsum. All lanes reopened just before 2:30 p.m.
According to investigators, Vail Public Safety Communications received information just after 4 a.m. Tuesday to be on the lookout for a homicide suspect out of the Denver metro area who was believed to be traveling near Gypsum. That suspect, later identified as Espinosa, 27, reportedly had a weapon and was possibly accompanied by hostages.
Investigators said a deputy in the Eagle County Sheriff's Office located a vehicle that matched the description, driving westbound on I-70 at a high rate of speed. Deputies began a pursuit. After watching the vehicle exit at mile marker 119 and then get back onto eastbound I-70, deputies said they attempted a traffic stop.
Espinosa refused to stop and deputies said they deployed a spike strip near mile marker 130 on I-70.
Two people got out of the vehicle, according to investigators, and pointed a firearm at law enforcement. Shots were exchanged between the suspects and law enforcement. One person was struck and rushed to the hospital. The remaining people in the vehicle were contacted by law enforcement. Investigators said there were children in the vehicle at the time.
"There were five additional people who were in the vehicle, which also included some minor children," said Eagle County Sheriff James van Beek.
Deputies with Eagle County Sheriff's Office and the Garfield County Sheriff's Office, along with Colorado State Patrol and the Special Operations Unit, continued to search for another suspect. He is believed to be armed and dangerous. If you see him, do not approach and call 911.
"He took off running at the time, and that's all we can say at this time, is we know that he took off running. It's a very open area, a lot of places to hide, a lot of places. And it was early morning, so it was very dark out," said van Beek.
Deputies have released a picture of the suspect and later identified him as Espinosa. The Colorado Bureau of Investigation is leading the investigation into the shooting, according to van Beek.
"The suspect was last seen wearing dark clothing, and he fled the area, which led to an extensive manhunt and search that's going on right now and is still ongoing," said van Beek.
Just before 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Westminster police said the suspect is related to an ongoing investigation into a homicide that occurred at Wolff Run Park in Westminster on Saturday. The day Espinosa was captured, authorities arrested another suspect in connection with that homicide, Charity Johnson, 35, on suspicion of first-degree murder. Johnson was booked into the Adams County Jail.
I-70 was closed for several hours in both directions between Exit 119- No Name and Exit 147- near Gypsum from mile marker 119 to mile marker 140 due to the shelter in place. Community members were asked to avoid the area.
The detour, according to the Colorado Department of Transportation, for drivers during the closure was eastbound use Exit 87, westbound use Exit 157, or additional routes using 131 northbound/40 westbound/13 southbound.
"So currently, the Colorado Bureau investigation is on I-70, and they are investigating that aspects of the officer-involved shooting. And we're very hopeful in the very near future, that I-70 will be opened up again, and that people can start the traffic can start flowing again and resume more normal traffic flow," said van Beek.