Connect with us

Denver, CO

Former MMA fighter, Aurora community activist charged with murder in alleged revenge killing

Published

on

Former MMA fighter, Aurora community activist charged with murder in alleged revenge killing


A former professional MMA fighter and Aurora community activist was charged with first-degree murder this week after police say he fatally shot a 28-year-old man during a child’s birthday party at a Commerce City park in retaliation for his son’s death.

Lumumba Sayers, 46, is charged with first-degree murder and two counts of felony menacing in the Saturday shooting death of Malcolm Watson near Paradice Island Pool at Pioneer Park.

He appeared in Adams County District Court on Thursday, where a judge increased his bail from $1 million to $5 million.

According to an arrest affidavit and witness statements made in court Thursday, Watson was carrying party supplies for his son’s birthday at the pool at 5951 Monaco St. when Sayers walked up to him and shot him multiple times, including once in the head.

Advertisement

After shooting Watson, Sayers went to talk with a man and a woman in a black Cadillac Escalade parked nearby before returning to Watson’s body, taking his keys and trying to place a handgun under his body, according to the affidavit.

Commerce City police officers arrived on scene to find Sayers crouching over Watson before he started to walk toward the Escalade, according to the affidavit.

Officers arrested him after witnesses began yelling that he was the shooter. Watson was pronounced dead at the scene.

Witnesses told detectives they believed the shooting was retaliation or revenge for the death of Sayers’ son, 23-year-old Lumumba Sayers Jr., who was killed almost a year ago in a shooting involving one of Watson’s friends, according to the affidavit.

Lumumba Sayers Jr., was one of two people killed in a shooting near 18th and Welton streets in Denver’s Five Points neighborhood on Aug. 19, 2023.

Advertisement

Denver police arrested 24-year-old Tyrell Braxton on suspicion of first-degree murder in the shooting, but no public court records are available in the case.

In response to an inquiry about Braxton’s case, the Denver District Attorney’s Office stated “no such records exist,” which is the only response prosecutors can provide under Colorado law when a case has been sealed.

Braxton is on trial in federal court in Denver this week for a weapons charge related to the August 2023 shooting, according to court records.

He was indicted by a grand jury in January on one count of possession of ammunition by a prohibited person, court records show.

The trial is scheduled to wrap up this week, court officials said Thursday.

Advertisement

In the wake of his son’s death, Sayers told Denver7 reporters that Sayers Jr. was dedicated to preventing gun violence in the community and was frequently at his father’s Aurora gym, the Heavy Hands Heavy Hearts Center.

The center, which described the elder Sayers as a founder in social media posts, is “a safe place where youth and adults are provided with basic needs, educational and career support, health resources, recreational and outreach services to assist with creating jobs and a building a sustainable life,” according to a description on its Facebook page.

Defense attorneys argued Sayers was an “exceptional” man and defended his character and position in the community during Thursday’s hearing, while prosecutors argued he was a danger to the community and Watson’s family as well as a flight risk.

Adams County District Court Judge Jeffrey Ruff ordered a $5 million cash-only bail, calling it the “only bond acceptable” in the case.

Sayers’ next court date was not available Thursday.

Advertisement

Sign up to get crime news sent straight to your inbox each day.

Originally Published:



Source link

Denver, CO

Proposed September 2026 Service Changes

Published

on

Proposed September 2026 Service Changes


RTD’s Proposed September Service Changes are designed to further enhance and strengthen RTD’s transit network by refining service, improving reliability, and better aligning resources with customer needs.

As part of the September 2026 Service Change, RTD is advancing a coordinated set of transit service enhancements designed to strengthen reliability, restore key frequencies, and improve access to major destinations across the system. These proposed changes reflect observed utilization trends, operational performance, and lessons learned during recent reconstruction activities, while maintaining flexibility for future evaluation and adjustment. Several of the recommended enhancements are supported by Clean Transit Enterprise (CTE) grant funding and are intended to restore and expand service consistent with the System Optimization Plan (SOP), noting that final CTE allocations are still in development. 

You can view all the proposed changes below and learn more by watching our presentation in English or Spanish.

Customer feedback on the Proposed September Service Changes will be collected through July 8. We invite you to virtually attend our public meetings and Ask a Service Planner sessions, or share your feedback through the online survey. Customer feedback is important to RTD, and we thank you for participating however you can!

Advertisement

Public Meetings

Interpretation is available at no cost. Call 303.299.2051 or email [email protected] at least 5 business days before the meeting and tell us the meeting name, date, and the language(s) you need.

Ask a Service Planner 1: Monday, June 22 at noon

Public Meeting 1: Monday, June 22 at 5:30 p.m.

Ask a Service Planner 2: Tuesday, June 23 at noon

Public Meeting 2: Wednesday, June 24 at 5:30 p.m.

Advertisement

Proposed September 2026 Service Changes

In addition to the routes listed below, the following routes also have proposed changes:

23 – West 20th Avenue

Route Adjustment, Schedule Timing

Proposed Change

It is proposed to split the existing Route 20 into Route 20 and Route 23, with Route 23 serving the western portion of Route 20 along 20th Ave., terminating at Union Station on the eastern end.

Advertisement

Reason

Maintains connectivity between Lakewood and Edgewater to downtown Denver.

Updated Map

Survey Link

AL – Denver International Airport to Longmont

Advertisement

Service Increase

Proposed Change

New route would provide hourly service from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, with service operating from 8th Ave. and Coffman St. to US 287 with a stop at Niwot Park-n-Ride and into Lafayette Park-n-Ride to E-470 to Denver International Airport (DEN).

Reason

Requested by policymakers, stakeholders and customers, service will provide connections from Longmont to Denver Airport via the Lafayette Park-n-Ride

Advertisement

Updated Map

Survey Link

BMFX – Broomfield FlexRide

Service Increase

Proposed Change

Advertisement

Extend weekday service to 9 p.m., with an extra vehicle added during a.m. and p.m. peaks. Add a second vehicle during Saturday peak hours; and implement Sunday service from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Reason

The City and County of Broomfield requested additional service, which can be supported through available grant funding.

Survey Link

WGFX – Wagon Road FlexRide

Advertisement

Service Reduction

Proposed Change

Discontinue service.

Reason

Low utilization, with service averaging 1 boarding per hour at a cost of $158.33 per boarding.

Advertisement

Survey Link

Dashboard: Routes and Lines

A

Union Station – Denver Airport

  1. Schedule Timing
  2. Service Reduction

C

Littleton•Mineral – Union Station

  1. Service Increase

D

18th•California – Littleton•Mineral Station

  1. Service Reduction

L

30th•Downing – 16th•Stout

  1. Route Adjustment

T

Lincoln Station – I-25•Broadway Station

  1. Schedule Timing

W

Union Station – JeffCo Gov’t Center•Golden Station

  1. Schedule Timing

1

West 1st Avenue

  1. Schedule Timing

9

West 10th Avenue

  1. Schedule Timing
  2. Route Adjustment

10

East 12th Avenue

  1. Schedule Timing
  2. Route Adjustment

11

Mississippi Avenue

  1. Schedule Timing
  2. Seasonal Adjustment

14

West Florida Avenue

  1. Schedule Timing

15

East Colfax Avenue

  1. Schedule Timing
  2. Route Adjustment

15L

East Colfax Limited

  1. Schedule Timing
  2. Route Adjustment

20

20th Avenue

  1. Schedule Timing
  2. Seasonal Adjustment
  3. Route Adjustment

24

University Blvd

  1. Seasonal Adjustment

32

West 32nd Avenue

  1. Schedule Timing
  2. Route Adjustment

35

Hampden Avenue

  1. Service Increase
  2. Seasonal Adjustment

37

Smith Road Industrial

  1. Schedule Timing

42

Montbello via Albrook / Green Valley Ranch

  1. Schedule Timing
  2. Seasonal Adjustment

45

Montbello / Green Valley Ranch

  1. Schedule Timing
  2. Seasonal Adjustment

51

Sheridan Blvd

  1. Service Increase
  2. Seasonal Adjustment

52

West 52nd Avenue / South Bannock

  1. Schedule Timing
  2. Route Adjustment

53

North Sheridan Blvd / Broomfield

  1. Schedule Timing
  2. Route Adjustment

59

West Bowles

  1. Route Adjustment

65

Monaco Parkway

  1. Schedule Timing
  2. Seasonal Adjustment

72

72nd Avenue

  1. Schedule Timing
  2. Service Increase
  3. Route Adjustment

73

Quebec Street

  1. Seasonal Adjustment
  2. Route Adjustment

83L

Cherry Creek / Parker Road Limited

  1. Schedule Timing
  2. Route Adjustment

105

Havana Street

  1. Schedule Timing

153

Chambers Road

  1. Schedule Timing

204

Table Mesa / Moorhead / North 19th

  1. Schedule Timing

206

Conestoga / Arapahoe / Fairview High School

  1. Schedule Timing

225

Boulder / Lafayette via Baseline

  1. Seasonal Adjustment
  2. Route Adjustment

228

Lafayette / Louisville / Broomfield

  1. Service Reduction

323

Skyline Crosstown

  1. Schedule Timing

AB1

Airport to Boulder

  1. Schedule Timing

AB2

Airport to Boulder

  1. Schedule Timing

ART

Art District Connector

  1. Route Adjustment

DASH

Boulder / Lafayette via Louisville

  1. Schedule Timing
  2. Seasonal Adjustment
  3. Route Adjustment

FREERIDE

16th Street FreeRide

  1. Schedule Timing

JUMP

Boulder / Lafayette / Erie via Arapahoe

  1. Route Adjustment

LD

Longmont / Denver

  1. Schedule Timing

LX2

Longmont / Denver Express

  1. Schedule Timing

NB1

Boulder / Nederland / Eldora

  1. Schedule Timing
  2. Seasonal Adjustment
  3. Route Adjustment

NB2

Boulder / Nederland / Eldora

  1. Schedule Timing
  2. Seasonal Adjustment
  3. Route Adjustment

SKIP

Broadway (Boulder)

  1. Schedule Timing
  2. Seasonal Adjustment

ILFX

Interlocken / Westmoor FlexRide

  1. Service Increase



Source link

Continue Reading

Denver, CO

Fire destroys home under construction in northwest Denver

Published

on

Fire destroys home under construction in northwest Denver


DENVER (KDVR) — An early morning fire on Friday left a home completely ablaze in the Highlands neighborhood, just a week after another house under construction went up in flames in the same area.

The Denver Fire Department shared photos of the incident, as crews were called to 3643 Mariposa, where images show a fully consumed home under construction.

“I think they [firefighters] kicked in the neighbor’s door just to make sure nobody was at home,” neighbors Lucy and Kyle said. “Some of the other houses, their windows got blown out from the heat!”

Just 11 days earlier, on June 8, a home under construction caught fire in the same neighborhood near West 33rd and Navajo. Nobody was hurt in either fire.

Advertisement

And just about two years earlier, in July, another fire in the same area ignited around West 36th and Osage. All of the properties are/were under development by the same group.

“I wasn’t present for any of the fires,” Ryan Yoffe, a member of the developer group, said.

Yoffe does say he thinks he knows how the last two fires had been set, saying it’s the City of Denver that needs to do better with surveillance.

“It’s likely related to the amount of homelessness in the area, looking for properties under construction to live in or burn down,” Yoffe said. “The City and the Police Department need to do a better job patrolling to limit the number of homeless people camping in the neighborhood.”

Denver Fire Department officials say the most recent incidents are under investigation, but that nobody was hurt in either.

Advertisement



Source link

Continue Reading

Denver, CO

Rockies ride Kyle Freeland’s gem, Braxton Fulford’s double to 4-3 win over Pirates

Published

on

Rockies ride Kyle Freeland’s gem, Braxton Fulford’s double to 4-3 win over Pirates


The night belonged to Kyle Freeland, who joined the 1,000 K Club. The moment belonged to Braxton Fulford. The ninth inning — and a big sigh of relief — belonged to closer Antonio Senzatela.

Fulford hit a two-run, two-out, pinch-hit double in the eighth inning off Mason Montgomery to lead the Rockies to a 4-3 win over the Pirates at Coors Field in front of a Friday night crowd of 33,596.

Fulford drove in Tyler Freeman and Cole Carrigg, who scratched out back-to-back two-out singles off Montgomery.

“I had been warming up in the cage for that at-bat for a couple of innings, so I felt pretty prepared,” Fulford said. “I got an advantage count (3-1) and I knew he was going to come with the heater and I was all over it.”

Advertisement

Fulford caught Montgomery for three seasons at Texas Tech, so he knew the left-hander’s tendencies.

“It’s kind of unfortunate for pitchers that you catch, because you kind of get to see their stuff,” Fulford said. “You kind of understand more of who they are. So I do feel like I had the advantage there.”

In the ninth, the Pirates loaded the bases against Senzatela with no outs on a single by Marcell Ozuna and an error on a groundball by shortstop Ezequiel Tovar. But Senzatela struck out pinch-hitter Tyler Callihan and induced Jared Triolo to ground to Tovar, who started the game-ending double play.

“It was kind of a crazy ending to the game — bases loaded and no outs,” Freeland said. ” ‘Senza’ got a big punchout in that situation, picks up Tovar. Then Tovar gets another opportunity to turn a double play, and he gets it done.”

Before all of the late-game drama, Freeland pitched his best game of the season: 7 1/3 innings, two runs allowed on four hits, no walks, and eight strikeouts. It marked the fourth time in his career that he pitched 7 1/3 or more innings.

Advertisement

“Tonight, I thought he was absolutely exceptional,” manager Warren Schaeffer said. “I thought his body language was impressive. He attacked the strike zone — relentlessly. His heater had good ‘vert’ tonight. The breaker was good. It seemed like he was in control all night.”

“Gritty” is the word often used to describe Freeland. Dominant was a more apt description on Friday night. History-making works, too. Freeland’s eight Ks gave him 1,001 for his career, joining right-hander German Marquez (1,069) as the only two pitchers in franchise history to eclipse 1,000. Freeland struck out Marcell Ozuna in the seventh for No. 1,000, and then promptly fanned Brandon Lowe for 1,001.

The hard-core Rockies fans behind the dugout gave Freeland a standing ovation.

“I’m very grateful for the fans always supporting me, and for making it this long in my career to reach some of these milestones, especially with one ballclub,”  said Freeland, who struck out eight and walked none for the second time in his career. “I definitely hear those fans when I pop out of the dugout after every inning.”

The 33-year-old Denver native blanked the Pirates for the first seven innings, giving up just two hits. Pittsburgh finally got to Freeland in the eighth, putting up back-to-back doubles by Esmerlyn Valdez and Triolo to cut Colorado’s lead to 2-1. Up to that point, it looked as if Freeland had the juice to throw a complete game, especially since he threw just 81 pitches.

Advertisement



Source link

Continue Reading
Advertisement

Trending