Author: Zachary Dupont zachary.dupont@gazettedev.gazette.com
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Court roundup: Latest in Return to Nature and UCCS shooter cases
A busy week in Colorado’s 4th Judicial District Court was headlined by the Return to Nature owners Jon and Carie Hallford opting to push back their arraignment hearing as they debate accepting a plea deal offered by prosecutors. However, progress was made in several other criminal cases in the area, including a man who shot…
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Jail sentence in New Havana Grill and Bar shooting elicits gasps, strong reaction
The Colorado Springs man who shot two people at the New Havana Grill and Bar last year was sentenced to 90 days in jail Thursday at a highly contentious sentencing hearing. Zain Frank Aguilera-Valdez, 22, was arrested on March 18, 2023, after he shot two people in the parking lot of the New Havana Grill…
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Colorado Springs 7-Eleven homicide case drags on
The attorneys representing the Colorado Springs man accused of killing a man by striking him more than 100 times at a 7-Eleven informed the court Thursday that a sanity evaluation being conducted on their client won’t be complete until 2025. Tyrek Williams, 23, faces one count of first-degree murder and two violent crime sentence enhancers…
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Return to Nature owners have arraignment pushed back
The owners of the Return to Nature Funeral Home will enter pleas at a hearing in September, an El Paso County judge decided Thursday. Carie and Jon Hallford face 286 criminal charges stemming from the discovery in October of 189 bodies improperly stored at the funeral home in Penrose. The Hallfords had been expected to…
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Return to Nature owners to appear in court Thursday
Jon and Carie Hallford, the owners of the Return to Nature Funeral Home, are expected to appear in court Thursday morning for an arraignment hearing. The Hallfords face 286 criminal charges stemming from the discovery in October of 189 bodies improperly stored at the funeral home in Penrose. The Hallfords had been expected to plead…
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Finalists announced for vacant El Paso County court judge position
The Fourth Judicial District Nominating Commission announced three finalists for a vacant El Paso County court judge position Tuesday. The vacancy was created by the appointment of Dennis Luzinas McGuire to the vacant 4th Judicial District Judge position in Teller County. The three finalists are Douglas Bechtel of Castle Rock, Marika Frady of Colorado Springs and Christopher…
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Delays continue in cases of teens accused of killing Colorado Springs man
The cases against two teens facing homicide charges for allegedly killing 32-year-old Gabriel Villanueba last year continue to be delayed, making a trial this year increasingly unlikely. Santiago Dominguez, 18, and Ali Talib, 18, appeared in court Tuesday for plea hearings where they each face 11 charges — including second-degree murder, aggravated robbery, motor vehicle…
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Judge rules that man who caused death of Fountain police officer can be sentenced as habitual criminal
The man found guilty of causing the death of Fountain Police Officer Julian Becerra was found to be a habitual criminal by an El Paso County judge on Wednesday, potentially leading to his sentence being quadrupled. Devon Bobian, 32, was found guilty at a jury trial in May on eight charges for leading multiple law…
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Families upset after Return to Nature owners Jon and Carie Hallford offered plea deals
The owners of the Return to Nature Funeral Home have been offered a plea deal in their state-level case, according to an email sent to affected family members and acquired by The Gazette. Jon and Carie Hallford face 286 criminal charges stemming from the discovery in October of 189 bodies improperly stored at the funeral…
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Man accused in woman’s death outside a Colorado Springs bingo hall makes court appearance
The man accused of causing the death of 62-year-old Dorothy King in an alleged carjacking attempt outside the South Academy Boulevard bingo hall waived his right to a preliminary hearing . Nathaniel Buchmann, 33, appeared in 4th Judicial District Court for his latest hearing Monday. Buchmann faces 13 charges for allegedly causing King’s death at…