A routine weekday morning on Boulder’s Pearl Street Mall turned frightening Thursday when a man allegedly attacked two strangers with a knife, leaving one woman with cuts to her hand, before a bystander stepped in and police moved in fast. Officers say the suspect was quickly detained and taken into custody.
Swift police response
Shortly after 7:54 a.m., Boulder officers were dispatched to the 1300 block of Pearl Street near 13th Street after a report that a man had attacked a woman. Officers located the suspect within seconds of arriving and arrested him at gunpoint at about two minutes after the first 911 call. Boulder Police Chief Steve Redfearn later highlighted the speed of that response. The city detailed the arrest in an official news release, according to Boulder Police.
Suspect booked on multiple felonies
The suspect was identified as 35-year-old Marcus Ariel Valles of Lakewood. He was booked on multiple felony charges, including three counts of attempted first-degree murder, two counts of felony menacing, and one count of first-degree assault, as reported by 9News. Investigators have not released further background details about Valles while the case remains active.
Details from the scene
According to the city, the first victim, a 44-year-old woman walking to work, suffered cuts and bruises to her hand after coming into contact with the attacker. A 50-year-old man nearby threw his coffee at the suspect before running from the scene. Investigators say the suspect then tried to stab the man, but the knife did not make contact. Those details from the scene were included in the city's news release, according to Boulder Police.
What the suspect told detectives
Reporting indicates the suspect told detectives he had come to Boulder "to hurt people." Investigators are continuing to review surveillance footage and interview witnesses as they build the case. Police asked anyone with information to call the tip line at 303-441-1974 and reference case 26-05470, according to 9News.
Where this fits in recent downtown safety concerns
The alleged knife attacks land in the middle of an already tense conversation about safety on the Pearl Street Mall. Last summer’s deadly firebombing on Pearl Street injured multiple people and prompted tightened security measures along with a broader debate over how to keep the busy pedestrian corridor safe. For more on that earlier incident and the city's response, see coverage from CPR News and Axios Boulder.
