7yearold who was allegedly abducted in Lakewood found safe near Last Chance on eastern plains
Nov 25, 2024
OTERO COUNTY, Colo. A 7-year-old who had been reportedly abducted by a 26-year-old woman in Lakewood was found safe outside of Last Chance, according to the Lakewood Police Department. An AMBER Alert was issued Monday shortly before 2 p.m. for the missing child. Around 3:45 p.m., police confirmed that the child whose name has been removed from this story was found safe and unharmed outside of Last Chance in Washington County on Colorado's eastern plains. Colorado State Patrol spotted the vehicle, took the suspect into custody, and got the child to safety, CSP said.The suspect, identified as Crystal Denmon, 26, was taken into custody at the scene without incident. It's not yet clear what charges she may face, CSP said. This incident started around 6:10 a.m. Monday, when Lakewood police responded to an incident, possibly involving domestic violence, that had happened along the 1700 block of Kendall Street in Lakewood, said Lindsey Witzel, spokesperson for the police department. When police arrived, they found a man with a gunshot wound. That individual was later identified as the 7-year-old's father. He was transported to a hospital. Lakewood police then learned that his son was missing from the apartment. They believed that Denmon had kidnapped him and fled from the scene. They currently consider Denmon a suspect in the shooting but that remains under investigation, Witzel said. In its alert, CBI said she should be considered armed and dangerous, as investigators did not find a weapon at the shooting scene. "We were concerned because of the shooting that had happened prior to (the child's) abduction, we were concerned for safety of the public, other officers and (the child)," Witzel said. Denmon is not the boy's biological mother, she said. Police said they believe Denmon and the gunshot victim know each other.Before police found them, Denmon and the boy were last known to have been in Cheraw in Otero County which is about eight miles north of La Junta around 12:50 p.m. in a white Ford Focus. Witzel said police are now working to reunite the boy with his family. "We are very, very thankful that he was able to be located," she said. As of 4:30 p.m., the boy's father "is doing well" at the hospital, Witzel said. Anybody with information on this case should contact the Lakewood Police Department at 303-980-7300. Denver 7+ Colorado News Latest Headlines | November 25, 11amAccording to Colorado law, AMBER Alerts define an abducted child as somebody: 17 years old or younger In immediate danger or serious bodily harm In addition, authorities must have enough descriptive information about the child to issue an alert, and the activation must come from a request from local law enforcement or an AMBER designee from another state. Learn more here.