A Costilla County grand jury indicted five members of the county sheriff’s office March 26 — including Sheriff Danny Sanchez, his son Sgt. Caleb Sanchez, Undersheriff Cruz Soto, and two deputies — on charges ranging from felony assault to corpse abuse. The indictments stem from two incidents: the mishandling of human remains found at Wild Horse Mesa in 2024, and a February 2026 confrontation with a resident in a mental health crisis. The Colorado Bureau of Investigation removed more than 1,000 pieces of evidence from the department’s storage room in September 2025. Five arrest warrants have been issued.
Wildfire dominated the week across Colorado’s mountain corridor as drought conditions pushed multiple counties to emergency fire bans. Teller and Custer counties ratified Stage 2 fire restrictions, with Custer’s Buttermilk Fire forcing evacuations. Fremont County managed the 7,385-acre 24 Fire near Penrose, returning residents home March 23 while Highway 115 remained closed. The Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office wrapped a months-long undercover drug operation, arresting two Salida residents and seizing 41 grams of methamphetamine.
On wildfire code adoptions, Pitkin County met its state deadline, and Buena Vista passed the state-mandated code before April 1. Grand County and Eagle both continued their hearings, with cost-to-build concerns running $50,000–$100,000 per home driving resistance. Aspen continued its Meadows affordable housing hearing to April 20 after the Physics Center agreed to drop contested units near North Street. Breckenridge imposed Stage 2 outdoor watering restrictions and approved seven free EV fast chargers through an $800,000 state grant. Summit County resolved a decade-old land access dispute in Western Sky Ranch. Gunnison City Council approved new lease agreements for the 465-acre Van Tuyl Ranch, transferring agricultural management to Calder Farm and repealing an outdated telephone tax that cost more to collect than it raised. Alamosa launched transition talks with its airport operator. Mineral County investigated a graffiti vandalism case in Creede. And Walden canceled its April election after all races went uncontested — but may have violated Colorado’s Open Meetings Law by muting a public hearing mid-session. The Buena Vista Sons of American Legion is planning a $15,000 drone light show for June 27 at the rodeo grounds, part of a statewide series marking the nation’s 250th anniversary.
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