Colorado
Colorado police chief placed on leave amid probe into teen’s alleged rape in his home
A Colorado police chief has been placed on administrative leave after his stepson and three men were accused of raping a 17-year-old girl in his home while he slept upstairs.
The city of Ouray announced Monday that Police Chief Jeff Wood would remain on leave “pending the outcome of the criminal proceedings of the alleged rape” during a May 2023 party the stepson threw at Wood’s home.
The city did not clarify the exact reason why Wood was asked to step down, but the move comes more than a week after a man unsuccessfully tried to smother a local newspaper’s reporting on the alleged crime by stealing stacks of papers from its racks, instead amplifying the story to nation-wide attention.
The city had previously stated that it had been monitoring the case and Wood’s familial ties to it since Wood was first made aware of the investigation in July 2023.
Wood did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.
His stepson, Nate Dieffenderffer, 18, was arrested in December along with Gabriel Trujillo, 20, and Ashton Whittington, 18, with felony sexual assault, a case that is being handled by the Colorado Bureau of Investigation.
Dieffenderffer is accused of initiating a night-long gang rape horror after a 17-year-old guest at a party he was throwing at Wood’s home passed out from intoxication.
The police chief’s stepson restrained her when she tried to fight back and scream before he and Trujillo dragged her into the bathroom and took turns violently abusing her, according to an arrest affidavit.
Whittington allegedly did not participate but did not intervene.
The next morning, the survivor woke up naked and grabbed a sweatshirt from a pile of laundry, which turned out to belong to Wood. His DNA turned up in a subsequent investigation, but not in a significant amount to reflect wrongdoing.
According to the victim, the police chief was home the entire time, but slept throughout the hours-long torture.
Wood told The Post last week that he “was first made aware of [the rape allegations] approximately two months after the incident was alleged to have occurred.”
“I anticipate being called as a witness at trial so I feel it is not appropriate to comment on the plausibility of the young lady’s allegations at this time,” Wood said in a statement over email.
The charges became widely known when a local restaurant owner stole hundreds of copies of the Ouray County Plaindealer on Jan. 18, the morning it ran a front-page story on the horrifying accusations.
Paul Choate, 41, accused the Plaindealer of attempting to profit off the story and claimed on social media he pulled off the heist to protect the victim.
Shockingly, Choate does not appear to have any ties to the police department, Wood, his stepson or the other three men named in the criminal case.
The upsetting case had triggered intense calls from the community for Wood to resign.
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Colorado
Julian Lewis Says Deion Sanders’ Colorado ‘Wasn’t Really Looking at Defenses Much’ Last Season
Colorado quarterback Julian Lewis made a stunning admission that could explain the team’s 3-9 finish to the 2025 season.
While speaking to ESPNU at Big 12 media days, Lewis was asked what the biggest difference was between last year and this year, and he revealed that the Deion Sanders-coached Buffaloes typically didn’t watch film during his first season with the team.
“My play, I’m actually looking at the defenses now,” Lewis said. “Last year, we wasn’t really looking at defenses much, just kind of high school free-balling, just out there playing football. But it’s a lot bigger than that now, so it should be fun.”
Before taking a redshirt year, Lewis played in four games as a true freshman with two starts and threw for 589 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions while completing 55.3 percent of his passes. He should fare even better this season with the benefit of film study.
Lewis will enter the 2026 campaign as Colorado’s starting quarterback, so he will have the opportunity to show his improvements when the Buffaloes open the year against Georgia Tech on Sept. 3.
State and federal agencies are starting to reopen public lands, state wildlife areas and a segment of the Colorado River that were closed in light of the Snyder Fire in Mesa County.
Stage 2 fire restrictions — banning all open fire or flames, including charcoal grills and wood-burning stoves — remain in effect as extreme fire danger, spurred on by hot and dry conditions, persists across the region.
The Snyder Fire started on Friday, June 26, when several smaller fires burning on the Colorado-Utah border combined. As of July 7, the fire was 98% contained after burning over 30,200 acres and killing three wildland firefighters.
With fire activity decreasing and containment increasing, Colorado Parks and Wildlife and the Bureau of Land Management shared their plans Tuesday to reopen lands impacted by the wildfire.
Parks and Wildlife said in a news release that it, alongside the Bureau of Land Management, had lifted the closure for public access and downstream recreation on the Colorado River, starting at the James M. Robb-Colorado River State Park in Fruita and extending to the Utah state line. It also reopened the boat ramp at the Fruita section of the James M. Robb-Colorado River State Park in Fruita to downstream traffic.
The state agency’s Horsethief State Wildlife Area in Fruita and the Loma Boat Launch State Wildlife Area also reopened.
The BLM said in a news release that all lands within the perimeter of the Snyder Fire burn area remain closed to ensure public and firefighter safety.
“The burned landscape — including vegetation — remains dynamic and unpredictable as it naturally recovers from the fire impacts. This order is effective immediately and will remain in effect until the order is rescinded,” the BLM said.
Both agencies also warned that fire danger remains extremely elevated and Stage 2 fire restrictions are in place.
A map of current federal and state fire restrictions is available on the Rocky Mountain Area Interagency Fire Restriction Dashboard or by visiting DFPC.Colorado.Gov/sections/wildfire-information-center. The Colorado Trails Explorer (or COTREX) app also has wildfire closure alerts.
Under current conditions, Parks and Wildlife advised the following actions to prevent sparking wildfires:
- Use established rings: Where permitted, only build campfires inside permanent metal fire rings in designated campgrounds.
- Clear nearby debris: Remove all dry grass, leaves and pine needles within a 10-foot radius of any flame.
- Drown and stir: Extinguish fires completely with water, stir the ashes, and ensure the debris is cold to the touch.
- Watch campfires constantly: Never leave a fire or portable stove unattended. If you see an unattended fire, call 911.
- Keep vehicles off brush: Avoid parking or idling cars on tall, dry grass where hot exhaust systems can ignite a fire.
- Secure towing equipment: Ensure trailer safety chains do not drag and spark against asphalt. Check them at every stop.
The BLM added that under its Stage 2 restrictions, smoking is prohibited except in an enclosed vehicle or building, a developed recreation site, or while stopped in an area at least three feet in diameter that is barren or cleared of all flammable materials.
Gas-powered stoves or grills with a shut-off valve are still allowed in cleared areas under this stage.
Violating Stage 2 fire restrictions by lighting a campfire is a Class 2 misdemeanor. Violators face an immediate citation, a mandatory court appearance, steep fines and potential jail time. Additionally, you can be held financially liable for all fire suppression costs and property damage if the campfire sparks a wildfire.
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