Denver, CO
Jefferson County Sheriff's Office issues 'fact check' about ICE Denver social media post
DENVER — The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO) took to social media on Thursday to “fact check” a recent post by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office in Denver.
On Wednesday afternoon, ICE Denver posted to X, asking the community for help in locating Jose Lopez-Hidalgo, 32. The agency said Lopez-Hidalgo was “released from Jefferson County without being turned over to ICE.”
Court records show Lopez-Hidalgo was arrested on Saturday for driving under the influence (misdemeanor), driving under the influence per se (misdemeanor) and careless driving resulting in injury (traffic offense misdemeanor). He posted a $5,000 personal recognizance (PR) bond on Monday.
ICE is asking for the community’s assistance in locating Jose Lopez-Hidalgo, 32, an alien from Honduras who was released from Jefferson County without being turned over to ICE. Do not approach if seen, instead report all info to ICE at 1-866-347-2423. All tips remain confidential pic.twitter.com/jOttsb6Std
— ICE Denver (@ERODenver) June 18, 2025
Nearly 24 hours later, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office responded with a post of its own.
In the “fact check,” the sheriff’s office said it is not allowed to “directly turn over an inmate to any law enforcement agency without a judicially authorized warrant,” citing Colorado law.
Local law enforcement agencies are limited in their interactions with ICE under state law. In January, Denver7 Investigates spoke with several sheriff’s offices in the Denver metro area, including Jefferson County, to ask about their policies regarding detainers. A detainer is a request for the sheriff’s office to either notify ICE of the inmate’s release or hold the inmate for up to an additional 48 hours.
The Denver Sheriff’s Department (DSD) notifies ICE ahead of an inmate’s release when it receives a request from ICE. The department said it notifies ICE via fax, which is ICE’s requirement, according to a DSD spokesperson.
In both Jefferson and Douglas counties, the sheriff’s offices notify ICE anytime a foreign-born inmate is booked into the jail. Then, upon ICE’s request, the sheriff’s offices will notify the federal agency when an inmate is beginning the release process.
In all of these cases, it is up to ICE to show up and take the individual into federal custody after they have been released from a local agency’s custody.
- Read the full report from our Denver7 Investigates team below
Denver7 Investigates
Denver7 Investigates: How CO law enforcement agencies respond to ICE detainers
The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office said in its post that it received an order to release Lopez-Hidalgo at 11:52 a.m. According to the sheriff’s office, an inmate must be released within six hours of when they are eligible, per Colorado law.
JCSO said it spoke with an ICE representative by phone at noon and informed them of Lopez-Hidalgo’s release. The sheriff’s office wrote in its post, “The ICE representative told us ICE would not be picking up Mr. Lopez-Hidalgo.”
Lopez-Hidalgo was released from the Jefferson County Jail at 2:34 p.m.
“At no point did ICE respond to the jail to pick up Mr. Lopez-Hidalgo,” the sheriff’s office said.
JCSO FACT CHECK:
Yesterday, ICE Denver (@ERODenver) posted that an inmate was “released from Jefferson County without being turned over to ICE.” Let’s be clear: we are not legally allowed to directly turn over an inmate to any law enforcement agency without a judicially… pic.twitter.com/yqPINoLU0J
— Jeffco Sheriff (@jeffcosheriffco) June 19, 2025
The sheriff’s office said it reached out to the ICE Denver office about the “misleading post.”
“They made their position unmistakable: if we do not provide ICE extra time to coordinate inmate pickups from our facility, in violation of Colorado law, deceptive posts like yesterday’s will become the norm,” JCSO wrote.
The sheriff’s office concluded its post by saying it “respects and follows Colorado law. We will continue to follow the law and stand by the truth.”
Coloradans making a difference | Denver7 featured videos
Denver7 is committed to making a difference in our community by standing up for what’s right, listening, lending a helping hand and following through on promises. See that work in action, in the videos above.
Denver, CO
Denver police use Aurora’s license-plate reading system to ID, arrest a teenage murder suspect
Denver police used license-plate reader technology from neighboring Aurora to identify and arrest a 19-year-old man on suspicion of murder.
Police arrested Daniel Villegas on Saturday on suspicion of shooting and killing another 19-year-old male in the 10100 block of East Virginia Avenue two days earlier.
Denver police said in a news release posted to X that they conducted interviews and reviewed surveillance video, digital forensics and the Aurora Police Department’s automated license plate reader system to identify the suspect’s vehicle, which police said had traveled through Aurora before and after the April 2 shooting.
Villegas was arrested on Saturday with help from the Aurora Police Department and is being held on suspicion of first-degree murder.
Denver police responded to a report of a shooting at 12:35 p.m. on Thursday, April 2 and found the teenage victim suffering from a gunshot wound on East Virginia Avenue. The victim was transported to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The investigation by the Denver Police Department revealed Villegas and the victim were known to each other and that they may have been involved in a dispute over money owed by the victim.
Sign up to get crime news sent straight to your inbox each day.
Denver, CO
New video captures deadly shooting at Denver park on Easter Sunday
DENVER (KDVR) — A new video captured several shots being fired in a deadly shooting in broad daylight at a Denver park on Easter Sunday.
On Sunday, around 6 p.m., the Denver Police Department said it responded to a shots-fired call in the area of the 3600 block of North Vine Street. This is at Russell Square Park in the Cole Neighborhood.
Police said two people were sent to the hospital, and they were still looking for a suspect. On Monday morning, police said a woman was pronounced dead, and they were still working on developing suspect information.
FOX31’s Jim Hooley spoke with neighbors in the area on Monday morning, who captured a video of the shots being fired. On a smart home camera in the area, it showed a video of the park, with the sound of over 20 gunshots.
Neighbors told Hooley there were more than 50 people, as many as 100, at the park celebrating Easter. Neighbors believe it was a drive-by shooting, and they all ran for cover once the shots were fired.
At this time, it’s unclear what led up to the shooting.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 720-913-7867.
Denver, CO
Long Before Messi Came to MLS, These Players Brought Soccer to Denver
The Local newsletter is your free, daily guide to life in Colorado. For locals, by locals.
In 1996, a group of strangers arrived in Denver with their cleats and a common goal: to build professional soccer in America from the pitch up. Two years earlier, the United States had hosted the FIFA World Cup, igniting a national fervor for the sport. That energy helped birth Major League Soccer, with the Colorado Rapids as one of its 10 founding clubs. Players from around the globe converged on what was then Mile High Stadium (where the Rapids played until the 2007 debut of Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City).
Thirty years later, the team has drawn stars, hoisted the 2010 MLS Cup, and earned a devoted local following. Ahead of the Rapids’ return to Empower Field at Mile High on April 18 for a special anniversary match against Inter Miami CF, we spoke with players from that first season about the mayhem and mirth that helped bring the world’s most popular sport to America.
Colorado Rapids History: The First MLS Season in Denver
“We literally went to a liquor store [on Federal Boulevard] in rush-hour traffic. We were outside with a table with banners, and we were waving Rapids flags. People would roll down their windows and ask ‘Who are the Rapids?’ as they’re stuck in traffic.” —Marcelo Balboa, center back, 1996–2002
“For the July 4 game, we had a massive crowd. We played the [New York/New Jersey] MetroStars, and it was like, Wow, to be able to play in front of over 20,000 people. The lower bowl was packed and loud.” —Denis Hamlett, defender, 1996
“We trained in the Westminster rec center. I remember the first month we were there, we would walk down the hill from the rec center. It was pretty much an open park…. There’d be people coming from the street to work out, and they [would] look at us like, ‘Are you guys a college team?’ ” —Chris Henderson, midfielder, 1996–1999 and 2002–2005
“After the first few games, we started realizing that people were staying after [for autographs]. Almost every game, I would walk off the field without a shirt and without my socks. Kids wanted socks.” —Balboa
“Being a guy who played on the national team and played in the two World Cups leading up to the league—we were always hoping and praying that we were finally going to be able to get a league in the United States…. So when we all got to the stadium and saw [so many] people there, we were like, ‘OK, we got something here.’ ” —Balboa
“We had a mascot called RapidMan [who would go] on all these appearances with us. His costume was like water inside a river. I remember him high-fiving the fans and taking photos with the players.” —Henderson
Tickets for the Colorado Rapids match at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 18, at Empower Field at Mile High start at $100.
-
Atlanta, GA2 days ago1 teenage girl killed, another injured in shooting at Piedmont Park, police say
-
South-Carolina1 week agoSouth Carolina vs TCU predictions for Elite Eight game in March Madness
-
Movie Reviews5 days agoVaazha 2 first half review: Hashir anchors a lively, chaos-filled teen tale
-
Vermont1 week ago
Skier dies after fall at Sugarbush Resort
-
Politics1 week agoTrump’s Ballroom Design Has Barely Been Scrutinized
-
Politics1 week agoJD Vance says he was ‘obsessed’ with UFOs, believes aliens are actually ‘demons’
-
Entertainment5 days agoInside Ye’s first comeback show at SoFi Stadium
-
Politics1 week agoJeffries declines to break with indicted Democrat after ethics panel’s guilty verdict