The “complicated” details surrounding the death of Colorado Springs parole officer Christine Guerin Sandoval has slightly delayed the court proceedings of her accused killer, the 4th Judicial District prosecution said Wednesday.

Justin Kula, 41, was arrested hours after allegedly hitting Sandoval and another parole officer with his vehicle while they were trying to serve him an arrest warrant on Sept. 28. The arrest warrant was active at the time of the incident because he had failed to check in with his parole officer after being released from the Department of Corrections on parole only three weeks earlier, according to an arrest affidavit obtained by The Gazette.

Both officers were taken to the hospital, where Sandoval died later that night.

Kula appeared in court for the first time Wednesday, but the prosecution had not yet filed charges because Kula reportedly refused to show for his advisement hearing, when defendants are typically read the charges against them.

Prosecutor Dave Young told the court that he had also not yet filed official charges because of the “complicated” situation involving multiple involved and investigating law enforcement agencies and Kula’s extensive criminal history, which could influence the number and level of charges against Kula.

In 2020, Kula was convicted of extortion, assaulting a peace officer, disorderly conduct across multiple incidents and received three to five years for each incident, records show.

Kula appears to have failed to appear in court multiple times throughout the years and received roughly one year in jail for a probation violation conviction in 2020.

A re-do of Kula’s first appearance has been scheduled for Friday, when the prosecution expects to file formal charges, which are different than arrest charges.

Kula was arrested on suspicion of accidents causing death or personal injuries, manslaughter and third-degree assault. Those charges could be added or amended prior to the Friday hearing.

Kula remains in custody at the El Paso County jail on a $250,000 bond.