A sprawling, multi-county manhunt that turned a Rocky Mountain commute into a crime scene has ended with Westminster police announcing a second arrest in last weekend's Wolff Run Park killing. Officers say 35-year-old Charity Louise Johnson was taken into custody on suspicion of first-degree murder in the shooting death of a man found in the park's parking lot.
Police were first called out just after 7 a.m. on Saturday for a welfare check at Wolff Run Park, where they found a man in his late 20s lying face down in the lot with multiple gunshot wounds. Neighbors later told investigators they heard gunfire around 2 a.m. and watched a dark sedan tear out of the area, details highlighted in a report on how neighbors heard gunshots around 2 a.m.. Westminster police quickly opened a homicide investigation and asked residents to comb through home security and doorbell footage from roughly 1:30 to 3 a.m.
Detectives later identified Johnson and Kenny Espinosa as suspects in the case. Johnson was arrested on Tuesday on suspicion of first-degree murder and booked into the Adams County Jail, according to The Denver Post. Prosecutors in the 17th Judicial District will ultimately determine which formal charges to file as investigators continue to build the case.
I-70 manhunt ends with shootout
While Johnson was picked up in Westminster, authorities say the hunt for the other suspect stretched deep into the high country. Espinosa became the focus of a manhunt that shut down Interstate 70 in both directions between Gypsum and Glenwood Springs for several hours as deputies swept the corridor, deploying spike strips before the confrontation, according to The Denver Gazette.
Deputies said two people climbed out of a vehicle and one of them pointed a firearm, triggering an exchange of gunfire. One person was hit and taken to a hospital. That wounded individual was not Espinosa, investigators later clarified.
Espinosa, described by officials as 27, bolted from the scene but was eventually captured. He was transported to a hospital for medical clearance and is expected to be booked into the Adams County Jail, according to CBS Colorado. Authorities also reported there were additional people in the vehicle, including minors. Early fears that they might be hostages eased as investigators sorted out how the passengers were connected to the suspects.
Legal status and investigation
The Colorado Bureau of Investigation is now reviewing the officer-involved shooting, a standard step whenever law enforcement opens fire. Prosecutors in the 17th Judicial District will decide which charges to pursue once detectives finish more of their work and evidence is fully processed, The Denver Post reports. Westminster police stressed that the investigation is very much active and that additional details could surface as the case moves forward.
Police ask for footage and tips
Westminster Police are repeating their call for neighborhood eyes and cameras. Residents who live near Wolff Run Park are being asked to review any surveillance or doorbell video from about 1:30 a.m. to 3 a.m. the morning of the shooting and to contact the department's non-emergency line at 303-658-4360 with anything that might help. That request to check surveillance and doorbell video comes with a warning from investigators: do not approach anyone who seems suspicious. Instead, call 911 immediately if you believe you see someone connected to the case.
With two suspects now in custody, Westminster and Adams County investigators say the case is far from closed. They are still working to nail down a clear motive and timeline, and more arrests or additional charges could follow as the probe continues, according to CBS Colorado. This story will be updated as courts and law enforcement release further information.
