Suspect identified in Cherry Creek Shopping Center heist
Police and the FBI believe they have cracked the case of a $12 million heist last summer at a jewelry store in a popular Denver mall.
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Brian Maass has spearheaded CBS News Colorado's investigative unit for more than two decades. In that time, his investigations have held the powerful accountable, given voice to the voiceless and made a real difference in the lives of Coloradans.
His 2007 undercover investigation of deficient de-icing practices at Denver International Airport prompted re-training of hundreds of workers, firings, suspensions and multi-pronged federal and local investigations. Those reports received the Regional Edward R. Murrow award for investigative reporting in 2008.
His 2002 investigation exposing loafing cops at Denver International Airport led to retirements, dozens of reassignments and a heightened awareness of airport security.
Maass' exclusive 2004 interview with Army Pfc. Lynndie England made worldwide headlines as the woman at the center of the Abu Ghraib prison scandal told her story for the first time. The interview was honored with an Emmy award, as was his investigation into Denver cops double dipping and ignoring their primary jobs. He found top Denver police administrators working secondary jobs as school crossing guards when they were supposed to be overseeing murder, rape and kidnapping investigations. The reports led to a criminal investigation and sweeping changes within the Denver Police Department.
In 1999, Maass uncovered and exposed the story of how a Denver Police SWAT team broke into the wrong house and killed Ismael Mena, who never should have been in the line of fire. The investigation resulted in a perjury charge against one Denver patrolman and broad reforms in the way "no knock" search warrants are processed.
In 2019, the Heartland Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences inducted Maass into the "Silver Circle," a recognition of more than 25 years of journalism service.
Maass has won multiple Emmy awards, multiple "Best of The West" awards, the Regional Edward R. Murrow award for investigative reporting three years in a row, numerous Colorado Broadcast Association awards and a slew of other regional, state and local honors for his bold investigative reporting.
Just The Facts
Position: Your Investigator
Most memorable interview: Pfc. Lynndie England of Abu Ghraib notoriety
Role model: Garrick Utley, Bob Dotson
Dream Job: Forsberg to Sakic to Maass to knock off the Red Wings in 7
Job you would never attempt: sword swallowing
Alma mater: University of Colorado Boulder
Star sign: Gemini
Year hired: 1983
First TV Appearance: On a cold, icy live shot somewhere around Denver
Favorite story: Any that helped people make informed decisions
Why I'm a journalist: Love telling people something they don't know that is relevant to their lives
Hidden talent: Juggling
Hometown: by birth, Los Angeles. Since 1976, Colorado
Number of children: Two sons
Hobbies: skiing, hockey, running, cycling- anything outdoors
Favorite food: pizza, BBQ, carbs, sushi, stir fry, mexican, brownies --is that enough?
Favorite Musicians: Gruppo Sportivo, Bruce Springsteen, U2, Jimmy Cliff, John Prine
Number of siblings: Five
Number of pets: 1
Favorite sports team: Avalanche
Favorite vacation spot: Kauai, any beach, the desert or a mountain resort What one word describes CBS Colorado? Dynamic
Favorite word: gagoolio
Least favorite word: Sold out
Favorite sound: The sound of my sons excitedly telling me about their day, or the sound of them breathing deeply as they sleep.
What keeps me in Colorado: my family, friends, my neighborhood, my home, my work
What's the biggest risk you've taken? Repeatedly asking a news reporter at another station to go out for dinner. It all became worthwhile when she married me.
You can contact Brian by sending an email to yourreporter@cbs.com.
Police and the FBI believe they have cracked the case of a $12 million heist last summer at a jewelry store in a popular Denver mall.
Following jaw reconstruction surgery, Ben Varga was released from Denver Health and headed home to rest and recuperate.
In the run up to a no-confidence vote this month on the fire chief, rank-and-file firefighters are facing a pressure campaign seeking to get them to vote against the no-confidence vote on him.
Phil Washington, the CEO of Denver International Airport, has seen and experienced what thousands of other commuters deal with often- severe congestion; "It's bad, and it's getting worse," says Washington.
A judge sentenced an Arapahoe County woman to 90 days in jail and probation for physically and mentally abusing her 55-year-old cousin who operated at the level of a 5 to 8-year-old child.
A former music teacher at St. John's school and church in southeast Denver agreed to a plea bargain that will likely keep him out of jail.
The Aurora Police Department's top crime analyst, Frank Fredericks, 60, was charged this week with nine counts of official misconduct.
More details emerged Monday about a federal raid on a pop-up nightclub early Sunday morning near Denver, that was aimed at disrupting the operations of the Venezuelan Tren De Aragua gang in Colorado.
Investigators said a series of organized retail thefts hitting Lululemon stores across the country began with a two-day theft spree along the Front Range.
Xcel Energy acknowledged Monday that a widely disseminated message from the company about lowering the temperature on your hot water heater "can be confusing" and the company said its energy-saving tips in the future would be more clear.
Rank-and-file Denver firefighters walked into a union hall to vote on a resolution that would put a no-confidence vote on their chief and deputy chief to the department's roughly 1,100 members.
A Denver Fire Department assistant chief is asking his colleagues to move forward on a vote of no confidence in the department chief and deputy chief after a CBS News Colorado investigation.
Denver's mayor plans to announce that the city is acquiring the former Park Hill Golf Course in a land swap deal, and plans to turn it into a public park and open space, according to multiple sources.
The grandparents of Denver stabbing suspect Elijah Caudill say their grandson was plagued with untreated mental health issues all his life and nursed a serious drug habit that included crystal meth, fentanyl and synthetic marijuana.
CBS News Colorado has learned the City of Denver and the owner of the former Park Hill Golf Course property are attempting to wrap up a land swap agreement that would allow Denver to take back control of the controversial 155 acre property.