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Week of October 6, 2022
JEFFERSON COUNTY, COLORADO
A publication of
INSIDE: VOICES: PAGE 12 | LIFE: PAGE 14 | CALENDAR: PAGE 17 | SPORTS: PAGE 24
VOLUME 18 | ISSUE 16
Unsealed Arvada Fire Protection District celebrates Fire Safety Day affidavit provides account of fatal shooting Domestic dispute to blame BY RYLEE DUNN RDUNN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
The Arvada Protection District hosted its annual Fire Safety Day over the weekend.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF ARVADA FIRE
Annual event returns to in-person gathering; kicks off Fire Prevention Month The Arvada Fire Protection District hosted its Annual Fire Safety Day on Oct. 1 at the Arvada Fire Training Center, hosting live demonstrations, tours and educational activities to help folks learn about fire mitigation and kick off Fire Prevention Month, which the department is observing throughout October. Fire Safety Day featured demonstrations of a live burn from the National Fire Sprinkler Association, a helicopter landing from Flight for Life and a seatbelt simulator ride provided by St. Anthony’s Hospital and Colorado State Patrol. Stuffed animal first aid and obstacle SEE SAFETY, P3
A youngster in appropriate attire watches a fire sprinkler demonstration.
An affidavit filed by Arvada Police Detective Julie Glynn regarding the events of Sept. 11 that led to Officer Dillon Vakoff’s murder was unsealed on Sept. 26, shedding light on the events led to Vakoff’s death and the gunshot injuries of Mercedes Lopez and suspect Sonny Almanza, who is in custody. The affidavit describes a contentious custody dispute that led to a fight which escalated into exchanges of gunfire. According to the affidavit, at about 1:45 a.m., Officers D. Garibay and Dillon Vakoff were dispatched to 6753 West 51st Avenue in Arvada on a report of a disturbance over the custody of two children. Destiny Medlock — Sonny Almanza’s sister — contacted APD for assistance because the mother of the children, Lexis “Lexie” Lopez was on her way to the location to take the children back and Medlock suspected that Lopez was intoxicated. Officers Vakoff and Garibay arrived on scene and contacted Lopez, who was explaining what was going on to the officers when another vehicle arrived. After that vehicle arrived, a fight broke out in the apartment’s parking lot. During the fight, Sonny Almanza retrieved a rifle and came out to the parking lot. Almanza fired a round from the rifle which struck Mercedes Lopez — Lexie Lopez’s sister — in the leg. During the gunfire, Vakoff was fatally shot, according to the arrest affiddavit. Almanza was also injured and transported to Denver Health Medical Center, while Mercedes Lopez was transported to St. Anthony Hospital. According to Glynn, Officer Garibay’s body camera footage shows that prior to the physical fight, Lexie Lopez asked officers to ask Medlock about guns in her possession and said “they” pulled an AR-15 on her mother. After the shooting, Garibay located SEE AFFIDAVIT, P4