Video Story
Watch VideoGetting violent crime witnesses to come forward not easy
Ryan Wilson
Police are having a difficult time getting information on a shooting that nearly killed a man Regency Boulevard. Witnesses have been reluctant to come forward and it's a common problem that can make it hard for police to solve a crime.
Police say David Barrett Junior shot Paul Rodriguez several times in the chest and neck and then threatened to kill any witnesses who identified him. And in any crime when witnesses don't come forward it's harder for police to make arrests and to get criminals off the streets.
"My family and my friends do still live here, so I'm concerned for them, yes I am," apartment resident Charlene Warrick said. She says she's not scared to talk to police. But officers say others are because they watched someone get gunned down and don't want to be next.
"I can understand why people in that complex did not want to cooperate with the police," Sgt. Eric Bravo said.
While this case is new, reluctant witnesses are not. In 2000, Henry Trujillo was sentenced to 45 years in prison for stabbing Lawrence Quintana to death outside Gil's Westside Tavern. But it wasn't an easy case to crack.
"It took us two years to actually solve the case, because the witnesses would not be forthcoming with us," Pueblo County Sheriff's Office Bureau Chief Charlene Graham said. She also says refusing to cooperate with authorities can become a culture and the people involved aren't necessarily criminals. "They're just part of the community and that seems to be part of the code and they're not going to break it," Graham said.
On Ogden and 2nd Street, a shootout left a neighborhood scared and a man with a minor bullet wound. But no one's been arrested in this case, because police say the victim didn't want to be a victim, so no one's been charged. And community members say whether someone cooperates with law enforcement, depends on whether they trust the police
"I think it's not right you can show up to a house call for loud music, but you can't show up for a burglary," resident Anthony Chavez said. He and his family spend a lot of time observing his neighborhood. He says there are sometimes confused priorities at the police station and it can lead to a gap between the community and officers.
"If you feel safe around calling the cops, I think that's something you should do," Chavez said. "But on the other hand, there's some people that don't feel like if you call them that they won't show, that nothing's being done, justice ain't being served."
Chavez says there has to be a stronger partnership between the community and police to build communication.
Meanwhile, Barrett is still on the run and his alleged threat still lingers at the apartment complex. Warrick has sent her son to live somewhere else.
"Until it boils down around here and everything settles down, and i feel its safe enough for him to come home," Warrick said.
Police say finding ways to communicate with the public is an issue they've been working on for a few years. They hope three new substations will help them connect with the community. And in the meantime, police say Crime Stoppers is a good way for witnesses to contact authorities anonymously. They can call: 542-7867. So far, it's led to more than 1400 arrests.
