DENVER — The Colorado Bureau of Investigation has established a dedicated phone line and email for investigatory leads, following the indictment last month of the entire Costilla County Sheriff’s Office command structure.
CBI is encouraging community members to report possible misconduct involving personnel at the sheriff’s office amid an ongoing investigation by the 12th Judicial District Attorney’s Office, according to a CBI news release.
The tip line was set up after a grand jury last month indicted Sheriff Danny Sanchez—who then resigned, prompting the appointment of an interim sheriff—Undersheriff Cruz Soto, Deputy Roland Riley, former Deputy Keith Schultz, and Sgt. Caleb Sanchez, the sheriff's son.
- Tip Email: cbi_CostillaCountySOComplaints@state.co.us
- Tip Line: (719) 631-8550
Advocates of Accountability
After indictments, walkouts, Costilla County Sheriff’s Office has one employee
The five men were indicted in two separate criminal cases involving the mishandling of human remains and excessive force on a man in a mental health crisis.
Danny Sanchez and Schultz are facing multiple counts of official misconduct and abuse of a corpse after the discovery of human remains near Wild Horse Mesa in October 2024.
Upon arriving at the Wild Horse Mesa scene, the indictment alleges that the two men were more interested in looking for arrowheads than investigating the remains; only the skull was collected, and it was allegedly stored in a grocery bag instead of a forensic bag.
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Officials later testified that the alleged mishandling of the remains violated statutory procedures and compromised the investigation.
In a separate incident, in early 2024, Caleb Sanchez and Riley were indicted for excessive force after a man in a mental health crisis, who was not under arrest, was Tasered and injured while leaving a voluntary hospital admission.
Soto allegedly failed to intervene or report the Taser incident, and reports from Caleb Sanchez and Soto about the early 2024 incident were delayed for over a month, according to the indictment.
