Post by Scumhunter on Oct 25, 2023 5:30:56 GMT -5
(Above photo credit: lawandcrime.com)
From 9news.com:
GREENWOOD VILLAGE, Colo. — A man who allegedly shoplifted from an outdoor clothing store is now wanted on a murder charge.
An arrest warrant for first-degree murder has been issued for 39-year-old Justin Kautz, according to court records.
Kautz is alleged to have stolen items from the Sierra store in the Cherry Hills Marketplace off of South University Boulevard and Orchard Road Thursday afternoon. When Greenwood Village Police (GVPD) confronted Kautz, he jumped into a white Toyota SUV.
A viewer video shared with 9NEWS, showed a GVPD officer next to the SUV which had its driver's side door open. A woman was in the driver's seat with Kautz in the passenger seat, according to the video. Police said the woman was Kautz' accomplice.
The police officer can be seen in the video reaching into the SUV and trying to stop the vehicle from being put into gear, but the vehicle was put into reverse and backed up at a high rate of speed. The officer was hit by the open door and partially dragged, the video showed.
The woman in the driver's seat can be seen partially hanging out of the SUV as it's put into drive and speeds forward as two other police officers approach. The SUV then struck a vehicle and stopped as another responding officer in a marked patrol vehicle tried to block it in. The suspect's SUV then reversed at a high rate, the video showed.
The video then showed the Toyota be put into drive and begin speeding away, striking two parked vehicles causing the open driver's door to slam into the woman, who was still partially hanging out of the door. The woman is then seen in the video falling out from the SUV.
Officers rushed over and began providing care to the injured woman before she was rushed to a hospital. Family members told 9NEWS that the woman in the video died from her injuries. Her name has not been released by the Arapahoe County Coroner's Office.
Kautz is 5-feet, 9-inches tall and weighs around 180 pounds, police said. He has brown eyes, closely cropped hair and a goatee. Police said ke was last seen driving a black 2008 Chevy Impala LTZ.
Police said a reward may be available for information that leads to Kautz' arrest.
www.9news.com/article/news/crime/greenwood-village-shoplift-suspect-murder/73-a50263d8-9fb5-4c5f-8bb8-efff0c841712
Additional article on case:
kdvr.com/news/local/greenwood-village-police-asking-for-public-help-in-search-for-murder-suspect/
Thoughts? As far as I can tell, Kautz is still at large as of today's posting date (October 25th, 2023), since the above article is from only four days ago with no updates about a capture that I could find online. Of course, if that status has since changed, or changes in the future before we find out first, anyone can email our website contact form and let us know. Also an additional article mentions a Justin Kautz being sentenced to 20 years in jail in 2008 for another fatal crash. I can't 100 percent confirm it but seeing how it also Colorado I assume it has to be the same guy.
www.denverpost.com/2009/02/17/fugitive-in-wheat-ridge-wreck-gets-20-years/
Admin Note #1: According to online articles, anyone having information on this fugitives whereabouts is asked to contact Metro Denver Crime Stoppers: www.metrodenvercrimestoppers.com/
Admin Note #2: If you have any news-related updates on this case, please contact us here: amwfans.com/thread/1662/website-contact-form
