JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. — The suspect accused of taking pictures and killing a Ok-9 close to the Colorado College of Mines in February has pleaded not responsible to the fees towards him.
Following his arrest, Eduardo Armando Romero, 30, was charged with aggravated cruelty to animals (Class 6 felony), id theft (Class 4 felony), felony menacing utilizing an actual or simulated weapon (Class 5 felony), vehicular eluding (Class 5 felony), motorized vehicle theft (Class 5 felony), driving below the affect (misdemeanor), resisting arrest (Class 2 misdemeanor), and obstructing a peace officer (Class 2 misdemeanor).
Throughout the transient arraignment on Monday afternoon, Romero’s protection stated they had been getting into a not responsible plea, which was accepted by the decide.
A pre-trial convention was set for 1:30 p.m. on Dec. 11.
Monday marked his fifth arraignment listening to, which had been continued for the reason that first one was scheduled for June 12.
Eduardo is presently on the Arrowhead Correctional Facility in Cañon Metropolis, the place he’s serving sentences for a number of convictions out of Denver.
The incident started round 12:15 a.m. on Feb. 13. In line with the Golden Police Division, its officers helped the Colorado College of Mines’ cops after that they had contacted a driver close to nineteenth Avenue and Elm Avenue. Romero, who was slumped over the steering wheel, was unresponsive, Golden police stated. He then wakened and began slowly driving whereas swerving into oncoming site visitors earlier than a Mines officer and Golden officer had been in a position to cease him, stated Colorado College of Mines Police Chief Dustin Olson. He then slumped over once more, police stated.
Olson stated when Romero wakened a second time, he refused to exit the automobile or hearken to police instructions and began to ram patrol vehicles attempting to flee. The officers had been in a position to break the motive force’s aspect window to place the automobile in park, however throughout this battle, Romero was in a position to break away. He ran eastbound on nineteenth Avenue towards the campus, police stated.
As police pursued the suspect, he allegedly pointed a handgun at an officer, police stated. He ran right into a wooded space and disappeared from view. A shelter-in-place order was issued for anyone on campus.
By 1:12 a.m., extra officers, together with Jefferson County Sheriff’s Workplace (JCSO) Ok-9 items, arrived. A Ok-9 situated the suspect within the wooded space close to W. sixth Avenue and nineteenth Avenue and, below his handler’s command, moved to apprehend Romero.
The Ok-9 ran in entrance of the deputies, who adopted behind him. They heard gunshots and noticed that the Ok-9 had been struck. A JCSO deputy returned hearth, which didn’t hit Romero, stated Golden Sgt. Ben Salentine.
The Ok-9 was recognized as Ok-9 Graffit. He died on the scene.
Romero got here out of hiding and surrendered to police at 4:54 a.m. In line with the police division, he had an empty holster, however a firearm was discovered close by. He was taken to a hospital and launched into police custody.
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Jefferson County Sheriff Reggie Marinelli stated Ok-9 Graffit had labored with the JCSO since 2015 in narcotics and patrol companies, together with apprehension. Within the instant aftermath of the taking pictures, Marinelli stated the Ok-9’s handler was doing OK, nevertheless it was an emotional state of affairs.
A procession was held for Ok-9 Graffit at 9 a.m. that morning.
Procession for Jefferson County Sheriff’s Workplace Ok-9 Graffit
Romero was booked into the Jefferson County Detention Facility on a number of expenses.
After the taking pictures, Denver7 viewers requested why Romero didn’t face harsher expenses associated to the Ok-9’s demise. Briefly, on the time, Colorado legislation didn’t have a selected statute defending police canines. However that modified in June, when Home Invoice 23-1286, titled “Improve Penalty Cruelty Police And Service Animals,” was signed into legislation after being launched on April 5 by major sponsors Rep. Ryan Armagost and Rep. Monica Duran.
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Every week after the taking pictures, Romero stated he thought he had shot the bottom, blaming his confusion on smoking, ingesting and consuming loads the evening prior whereas watching the Tremendous Bowl. He stated he ran away from police as a result of he knew there have been warrants out for his arrest, based on an arrest affidavit.
He appeared in court docket on June 12, the place the protection requested for a change in his bond, which was set at $300,000 money on Feb. 14.
A deputy who responded to the school campus that night was allowed to talk in court docket, and stated that something lower than that bond can be a “shame” and “we received’t see this man anyplace once more.”
Prosecutors defined that Romero had a number of cases of failing to seem. The decide later famous he noticed at the very least 14. The prosecution stated on the time of his alleged crimes on Feb. 13, he had seven warrants out for his arrest.
The prosecution additionally stated that when Romero spoke with a pal after the taking pictures, he stated he would “smoke any individual” and “ship them to be with the doggie.”
The protection argued that $300,000 cash-only was not an affordable retention bond, including that the prosecution was presenting their argument like Romero was already responsible.
On the finish of that listening to, Decide Jason D. Carrithers famous Romero’s variety of failures to seem over time and stated with no money bond, it’s unlikely Romero would seem in court docket. He determined to maintain the bond.
The therapeutic course of for Jefferson County Sheriff’s Deputy Zachary Oliver, the handler for Ok-9 Graffit, has been ongoing for the reason that day his accomplice died.
However he was set on persevering with his work with Ok-9s. In July, he launched his new Ok-9, Ragnar.
“I had felt like I did not have a goal for some time after I misplaced Graffit,” he stated. “And now, since getting Ragnar, I really feel like I’ve a goal.”
After Ok-9 Graffit’s demise, Jeffco deputy finds therapeutic working with new Ok-9
No one can exchange Graffit, he stated, including that the canine will all the time have a particular place in his coronary heart.
“I really feel like Graffit educated me greater than I educated him, in plenty of features,” Oliver stated. “And now, I am attempting to — with Ragnar — reside as much as Graffit’s expectations.”
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