Latest news with #FortCollinsPoliceServices
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Fort Collins police arrest '420 Minister' accused of providing minors with marijuana
Fort Collins police have arrested a man who has dubbed himself the 420 Minister and is accused of providing marijuana to a minor. Garret Van Mullins, 34, was arrested June 19 and is being investigated for underage marijuana sales in Fort Collins and surrounding Front Range communities, according to a news release from Fort Collins Police Services. The Loveland SWAT team assisted in the arrest, according to the news release. Mullins is a marijuana legalization advocate and has a social media presence where he is known as '420 Minister' and 'I Am Foundation Church.' Mullins often posts religious videos to Facebook called "Blaze n Praise" in which he appears to smoke marijuana and shares a message. He often ends social media posts by saying, "Remember God made pot and loves you a lot." In an interview posted to YouTube in 2019, Mullins said he's a minister and smokes cannabis for his spiritual beliefs. He also recounted going to prison for marijuana possession in Texas. He also pleaded guilty to money laundering in Texas in 2016, the Wichita Falls Time Record News reported. Police have posted a photo of Mullins and suggest that anyone who believes their teen may have purchased from Van Mullins contact Officer Jim Lenderts at (970) 416-2949 or jlenderts@ All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court. Arrests and charges are merely accusations by law enforcement until, and unless, a suspect is convicted of a crime. This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Fort Collins police arrest man accused of giving minors marijuana
USA Today
02-05-2025
- USA Today
Missouri girl missing for 4 months found in Colorado sex offender's home, police say
Missouri girl missing for 4 months found in Colorado sex offender's home, police say A northern Colorado sex offender is facing multiple charges after authorities found a missing girl in his home last month. Maximilian Bondrescu is a 44-year-old registered sexual offender with a conviction from May 2019, per online court records. He lives in Fort Collins and has most recently been charged with felony second degree kidnapping, sexual assault on a child, second degree assault, and false imprisonment, Fort Collins Police Services said in a news release. He is also facing misdemeanor charges including having an incomplete sex offender registry, child abuse, harboring a minor, and obstructing a peace officer, police added. Missing Missouri girl found in Colorado man's home, investigators say Fort Collins police said the department has a Fort Collins Police Cyber Crimes Unit that specializes in child exploitation cases. On April 18, a Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force detective contacted the unit and said there may be a missing Missouri juvenile in the Fort Collins area. Fort Collins Police Detectives honed in on a home in the city, then secured a search warrant for the property, the news release said. Inside the home, they spoke to Bondrescu, who said there was no girl in the house. Once authorities searched the home, they found the missing girl. Bondrescu has been booked into the Larimer County Jail. His bond has been set at $500,000, and he has a hearing at 8:30 a.m. on May 5, per online court records. As of May 2, Bondrescu does not have a lawyer, the Fort Collins Office of the District Attorney in the Eighth Judicial District told USA TODAY. Boone County and Fort Collins officials did not immediately respond to USA TODAY's requests for comment. Girl had gone silent online and told friends she was 'in another state,' reports say The charges are in connection to a girl who was reported missing out of Boone County, part of the Columbia metropolitan area, reported KOMU-TV and KDVR. The teenager was first reported missing on Dec. 6, 2024, reported KDVR. It was her first time running away, and students at her school told police she mentioned running off a month before she turned up missing. At the time, she mentioned going to Colorado, KDVR reported. Citing an arrest affidavit, KDVR said the girl's phone and social media were 'completely silent' since Dec. 6. Four months later in mid April, she allegedly contacted someone and said she was 'in a different state.' The person she contacted told a friend, who then passed the information along to the police. Investigators used the girl's Instagram account and information from Meta to pinpoint an address associated with Bondrescu. Police: Man rented vehicle to cross state lines, pick girl up Fort Collins Police Services said in the news release that Bondrescu allegedly rented a vehicle to drive to Missouri, where he met the girl and took her to Colorado. Per the affidavit obtained by KDVR, when police showed up to his home to search the property, Bondrescu said there was no child at the home but there 'may be an adult female.' Police found the girl hiding in a bedroom closet. The girl told police she started talking to Bonrescu in November 2024. Bondrescu picked her up in the middle of the night, and once they got to his home, he wrapped her in a blanket and carried her into the house to hide her identity, KDVR reported. According to the girl, two other people lived in the house, although she never met them because Bondrescu said they would get in trouble if they found out she was there, KDVR reported. The girl said she asked to go home in January and February, but Bondrescu said he had no money to take her home, per KDVR. Police asked the girl what would have happened if she'd left, and she said it was cold and she didn't know anyone to ask for help. The girl told investigators there was a sound machine in Bondrescu's room so the two roommates wouldn't hear them talking, KDVR reported. She also said Bondrescu took her ID and other items. Per the arrest affidavit, Bondrescu said he did not have sexual contact with the girl and said 'she was only at the house for a few weeks.' Man made girl work for snow-shoveling company, police say The girl told police Bondrescu let her out and made her work for his company, FoCo Sno GO, which offers snow clearing and de-icing services, police said in the news release. According to the girl, Bondrescu made her wear a mask while shoveling snow to hide her identity and age, police said in the news release. 'The importance of the work done by the Fort Collins Police Cyber Crime Unit, and similar units across the nation play a vital role in helping to keep our children safe,' said Fort Collins Police Assistant Chief Kristy Volesky in the news release. 'Had it not been for the diligent work of these detectives, the juvenile could have continued to be victimized.' Police ask that customers who hired Bondrescu's company, FoCo Sno GO, contact Detective David Guy of Fort Collins Police Services at (970) 416 2026. They also want to hear from others who may have information on the case. Saleen Martin is a reporter on USA TODAY's NOW team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia – the 757. Email her at sdmartin@
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Yahoo
Affidavit: Colorado sex offender allegedly kidnapped, held Missouri teen for months in home
DENVER (KDVR) — An arrest affidavit is shedding new light on how a Missouri juvenile was kidnapped and held inside a Colorado sex offender's home for months. For Fort Collins Police Services, the case began on April 18 with a call from the Boone County Sheriff's Office Cyber Crimes Task Force about a kidnapping in the Missouri jurisdiction. The sheriff's office said the victim was a 16-year-old girl who was reported missing on Dec. 6, 2024. Teen sentenced to decades for role in shootings that killed 15-year-old, Iraqi refugee Police noted that this was her first time running away. Several students at her school told officials she had mentioned running away at least a month prior and spoke about going to Colorado. An arrest affidavit described how her phone and social media were 'completely silent' since Dec. 6, 2024, until April 16, when a detective was contacted by a student who said they had a friend who had been contacted by the missing girl the day before. She told the classmate she was 'in a different state.' Based on the Instagram account and information obtained from Meta, detectives were able to determine that she was likely living in Fort Collins at an address associated with Maximilian Nicholas Bondrescu, 44, a registered sex offender who had been convicted of communication with a minor for immoral purposes. Police arrested Bondrescu on April 18 at his home Fort Collins. According to the arrest affidavit, when police arrived at the address to serve the search warrant, Bondrescu denied there was a juvenile in the house, but said there 'may be an adult female,' according to the arrest report. Police reported they searched the house and found the teen hiding in a bedroom closet. Later, in interviews with law enforcement, the teen said she started talking to Bonrescu in November 2024. FOX31 Newsletters: Sign up to get breaking news sent to your inbox She described how Bondrescu rented a car, drove to Missouri, and picked her up from her house in the middle of the night. She said when they got to Bondrescu's house, it was still dark, and he wrapped her in a blanket and carried her into the house so no one would see her. She told law enforcement that two other roommates lived in the house, and she had never met them or seen them because Bondrescu said they would get in trouble for her being there. According to the arrest affidavit, she said that the few times she was allowed out of the house, Bondrescu made her dye her hair and wear glasses and a facemask. She talked about how she had asked to go home in January and February, but he told her he didn't have the money to get her back home. When police asked the teen what would have happened if she just left, she noted it was cold and she didn't know anyone in the area to ask for help. Boulder police, SWAT arrest wanted suspect The teen allegedly told officers there was a sound machine in Bondrescu's bedroom so his roommates wouldn't hear them talking, and said Bondrescu had taken her ID and other items, telling her it was so 'no one would find it.' In the same arrest affidavit, Bondrescu denied having sexual contact with the teen and stated 'she was only at the house for a few weeks.' Bondrescu is facing charges of second-degree kidnapping, sexual assault on a child, second-degree assault, false imprisonment of a minor, failure to register as a sex offender, child abuse, harboring a minor and obstructing a peace officer. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Yahoo
Missouri girl missing since 2024 found in Fort Collins, alleged kidnapper arrested
DENVER (KDVR) — A missing Missouri girl was found in Fort Collins, and her alleged kidnapper was arrested on sexual assault and child abuse charges, Fort Collins Police Services announced Thursday. The man, Maximilian Bondrescu, would also allegedly make the girl work for his snow removal company, and police are asking for anyone who used his company for help in the investigation. Fort Collins Police Cyber Crimes Unit on Friday received a tip from a Missouri cyber-crimes detective about a possible kidnapping investigation and that a girl missing from Missouri since December 2024 may be in Fort Collins, police said in a Thursday Facebook post. Officers learned the girl may have been at a residence in the 800 block of Warren Landing, and officers with SWAT assistance entered the home on a search warrant and found Bondrescu. He denied there was a girl in the house, but officers did find her there, police said. 'The importance of the work done by the Fort Collins Police Cyber Crime Unit, and similar units across the nation play a vital role in helping to keep our children safe,' Fort Collins Police Assistant Chief Kristy Volesky said in a press release. 'Had it not been for the diligent work of these detectives, the juvenile could have continued to be victimized. Our investigators will now work closely with the District Attorney's Office to ensure justice for this child.' Bondrescu, a registered sexual offender, was booked into the Larimer County Jail on the following charges: Class 2 Felony – 2nd Degree Kidnapping – Child Class 3 Felony – Sexual Assault on a Child – Pattern of Abuse Class 4 Felony – 2nd Degree Assault Class 5 Felony – False Imprisonment – Minor Locked in Room Class 1 Misdemeanor – Failure to Register as a Sex Offender – Incomplete Registration Class 2 Misdemeanor – Child Abuse Class 2 Misdemeanor – Harboring a Minor Class 2 Misdemeanor – Obstructing a Peace Officer Investigators found that Bondrescu rented a vehicle to drive to Missouri where he met the girl and drove her to Colorado, police said. The victim reported he held her against her will but would also make her work for his snow removal company, FoCo Sno GO. When she would work, Bondrescu would make her wear a mask so people could not see her face. Police are asking for any customers who used this company to contact Detective David Guy at 970-416-2026. Police said since the case involves sexual assault allegations and a juvenile, they could not release any additional information. They did not say how old the girl was or from where in Missouri she was missing. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Yahoo
Motorcyclist dies after crash in Fort Collins
DENVER (KDVR) — A motorcyclist died after a Monday night crash in Fort Collins. Fort Collins Police Services said officers were notified of a serious crash at 7:01 p.m. at the intersection of South Timberline Road and Bighorn Drive. The area is near the Foxstone neighborhood. According to investigators, a woman driving a 2018 Hyundai Tucson was going northbound on S. Timberline Road. The rider on a 2023 Yamaha motorcycle was driving southbound on S. Timberline Road. Fort Collins police said the crash occurred when the Hyundai made a left turn to go westbound on Bighorn Drive. 1 dead after car drives off overpass, crashes with light rail train in Lone Tree The adult male motorcycle rider was taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries. He was later pronounced dead. 'As the weather continues to get warmer, we urge the community to be cognizant of an increase in motorcycles on our roadways. We ask that all roadway users, motorcycles and vehicles alike, adhere to traffic laws and speed limits. Engaging in roadway safety is a shared responsibility we all must uphold,' said Sgt. David Lindsay, who oversees the Fort Collins Police CRASH Team. S. Timberline Road was closed in both directions between Horsetooth Road and Caribou Drive for five-and-a-half hours. Police are still investigating what factors may have led to the crash. Anyone with additional information is asked to call Community Service Officer Jacob Haas at 970-221 6540. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
