Denver, CO
“Prolific thief” pleads guilty to making millions illegally through Denver construction and investment schemes
A 40-year-old man who stole money from families in Denver that he said he would do construction projects for was sentenced to 23 years in prison on Thursday. The sentencing followed a guilty plea by Kyle Arienta for the construction crimes as well as several other offenses, including burglaries at homes in several different Denver neighborhoods where he was caught on camera. The Denver District Attorney’s Office called him a “prolific thief” who “often preyed” on friends and acquaintances.
Arienta pleaded guilty on Thursday, right before his sentencing on charges of securities fraud, theft, burglary and violating the Colorado Organized Crime Control Act, according to the Denver District Attorney’s Office. He had been indicted by a grand jury 11 months ago.
Three families who were seeking the construction work were victimized by Arienta. He stole slightly more than $1 million from them, the DA’s office says. After agreeing to work with Arienta, the families said the work had hardly started before Arienta abandoned the projects.
The burglaries took place a year ago in the following neighborhoods:
– Crestmoor
– Hilltop
– Washington Park
-Belcaro
The DA’s office says Arienta also stole about $1.7 million in all from people he knew through an investment scheme. The office says he “violated the trust of his clients and friends” by convincing them to invest money into faked construction projects.
As part of his sentence, Arienta agreed to pay $3.3 million in restitution to his victims.
Denver, CO
Denver weather: Nearing record highs again
DENVER (KDVR) – Denver and the Plains will see extra clouds Thursday with isolated storm out east and warm highs along the Front Range.
Weather today: Partly cloudy and warm
Clouds kept temperatures mild this morning and pockets of sunshine through the afternoon help us warm to the middle 80s.
We will be very close to tying a daily record high, but a light northerly breeze should stop us from hitting 87. The Eastern Plains can also see some isolated storms in the afternoon. There are also some Red Flag Warnings in the state, winds will be at 10-20 mph with gusts to 40 mph, avoid any burning or open flames in these areas.
Weather tonight: Lingering clouds
Partly cloudy skies through the day will stick with us tonight. Overnight lows will dip into the low 50s with a lighter wind.
Looking ahead: Cooler weekend with shower chances
Friday rounds out the workweek with partly to mainly sunny skies and comfy highs in the lower 80s. Saturday looks comfy as well with partly cloudy skies, highs in the upper 70s and afternoon storm chances. Sundayis still mild as highs hit the middle 70s, but clouds increase through the day with showers and storms in the evening hours. That rain can linger overnight and into Monday.
Monday has showers through the day and maybe a few flakes in the high country. Highs on Monday will be in the lower 60s with a breeze and cloudy skies. Shower chances linger into Tuesday with below average highs in the lower 60s with cloudy skies. Wednesday has smaller storm chances and a bit more sunshine as seasonal highs make it to the lower 70s.
Denver, CO
Two Denver police vehicles hit by separate drivers during traffic stop
DENVER (KDVR) — Two Denver police vehicles were hit by separate drivers during a traffic stop last week, according to a social media post from the Denver Police Department.
On May 7, officers responded to a crash on northbound Interstate 25 near the exit for Alameda Avenue.
The officers were parked with their emergency lights on to direct the traffic away from the scene of the crash. Despite the lights being on, two separate vehicles crashed into the officers’ vehicles.
One driver caused minor damage to a Denver police vehicle and was cited for careless driving. The second driver caused extensive damage to a police vehicle and was cited for careless driving, as well as arrested for allegedly driving under the influence during the crash.
Officers were in their vehicles during the incident, with one uninjured and the other taken to the hospital with minor injuries.
“Traffic safety is a shared responsibility! If you come upon flashing lights, emergency vehicles, tow trucks, or disabled vehicles while driving, move over at least one lane or slow down if it’s not safe to move over. And don’t drive under the influence,” said the department in the post.
Denver, CO
Denver testing outdoor sirens, emergency alert system this week
Denver’s outdoor warning sirens will sound for three minutes on Wednesday morning as officials test the city’s emergency systems.
All 86 outdoor sirens are scheduled to go off at 11 a.m., and at the same time the wireless emergency alert system will send a test text message to all mobile phones in Denver.
People in neighboring counties may also receive the emergency alert message, the Denver Office of Emergency Management said in a statement.
“Speed and clarity are critical in an emergency,” Executive Director Matthew Mueller said in a statement. “This test helps ensure Denver can deliver alerts across multiple platforms, so people know what to do right away.”
Denver officials have mistakenly sent emergency alerts about isolated police activity to the entire city twice in recent months — once in January when a person was barricaded near the University of Denver and once in April when two armed robbery suspects ran into a nearby home in Ruby Hill.
Denver emergency response officials may start using the outdoor sirens more often, including for destructive thunderstorms or flash flooding, instead of just for tornado warnings, city leaders said in a news release.
While Denverites don’t need to take any action during the test on Wednesday, the sirens are usually a sign to seek shelter indoors immediately and check for updates from the city and local news outlets, according to Denver officials.
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