Northern Colorado deputies assisting residents in Costilla County after sheriff's indictment

The Costilla County Sheriff's Office in southern Colorado has been working with half of its staff after the former sheriff, undersheriff and other deputies were indicted in March. To help ensure the people of Costilla County still have service, deputies from other departments across the state have been lending a hand.

From rescuing puppies to fire investigations, the Larimer County Sheriff's office says its deputies have stepped up to help.

This comes after Sheriff Danny Sanchez and Deputy Keith Schultz were indicted for abuse of a corpse and multiple counts of official misconduct in connection with remains discovered on a property on Wild Horse Mesa in 2024. A grand jury also indicted Undersheriff Cruz Soto and the former sheriff's son, Sgt. Caleb Sanchez, on third-degree assault and other charges related to a separate case.

The former sheriff resigned following the indictment, and the Costilla County Board of Commissioners held a special meeting to appoint Joe Smith as interim sheriff.

Since then, other sheriff's offices in Colorado have been rotating small squads to live and work in Costilla County and help its residents.

"This has included everything ranging from fire investigations to rescuing two litters of puppies to simply showing up for residents whose trust in law enforcement has been broken," said the LCSO.

The LCSO says the squads work in the area for a week at a time and will continue to help with patrol coverage until conditions stabilize.

"Long days but meaningful work, and we appreciate all who stepped up to help this community during a difficult time," the LCSO said.