1-Color
May 22, 2014
75 cents Arapahoe County, Colorado | Volume 125, Issue 43 A publication of
littletonindependent.net
Dry cleaner held up at gunpoint Burglar walks away with undisclosed amount of cash By Jennifer Smith
jsmith@coloradocommunitymedia.com A woman who works at a local dry cleaners remains fearful even though Littleton police have arrested a man they suspect held her up at gunpoint on May 2. “I’ve heard about this happening to so many other people on the news, but never, ever in my life did I think it could happen to me,” said Sandhya Lama, who moved
to Denver from Nepal six years ago. “We don’t really have cash, we don’t have much money. This is not a gas station. I’m traumatized. I’m so scared to be alone.” Lama says she had stepped away from the Collins counter at about 9:30 a.m. when a man snuck into the store, New Look Cleaners at 1621 S. Canal Circle, just southwest of Mineral Avenue and SouthPark Lane. He aggressively approached her with his face mostly covered, wearing a hoodie and pajama pants, she said. He then brandished a pistol and demanded what little
money there was in the cash register. His hands shook as she handed it all to him, she said, and he smelled of marijuana. He then told her to lie down behind the counter, and took off on foot. “I was so scared at that time,” said Lama. “My assumption was that he might still be here. I was worried he would shoot me.” After she finally got the nerve to stand up, she called her boss and 911. Lama had seen a man loitering around the strip mall earlier that morning, as had employees at the State Farm office next door to her. She thinks she was targeted because she tends to open earlier than the surrounding stores. Cameras at a nearby gas station and restaurant got decent images of the man, and
police distributed them throughout the neighborhood. A tip from that effort led officers to Nicholas J. Collins, 41, who lives in an apartment complex about one-tenth of a mile from the store. The LPD SWAT team arrested Collins without incident at his residence. He is being held at the Arapahoe County Jail on charges of aggravated robbery, a class three felony. As of May 16, he had not posted the $50,000 bond. His next court date is May 20 at 9:30 a.m. Lama herself feels imprisoned by fear now, locking herself in the store when she’s alone and constantly fearing for her safety. “After I talked to my husband, I cried a lot,” she said. “I’ve been having bad dreams since then.”
Memorial Day events scheduled Ceremonies around area honor fallen veterans By Tom Munds
tmunds @coloradocommunitymedia.com
TOP: Sisters Zerah (left) and Stella Smith bubbled over with excitement during the first Coffee with Council event on May 14, held at Sterne Park. LEFT: Declan Lingle, 3, and Maggie Wiese, 7, hang out in the Littleton Police Department’s new Polaris Ranger ATV, which will be used for patrolling the trail system. Photos by Jennifer Smith
Council kicks off summer meetings Meet, Greet and Eat offers pizza, helpful information By Jennifer Smith
jsmith@coloradocommunitymedia.com Dozens of Sterne Park neighbors visited the park May 16 for Littleton City Council’s first community meeting of the summer, part of the Meet, Greet
and Eat series. There they enjoy free pizza and ice cream sandwiches while perusing information on many of the city’s offerings, including the Neighborhood Partnership Program, the Coalition for Aging Well and the Transportation Committee, all relatively new programs. The police were showing off their new Polaris Ranger, which will be used to patrol trails, and firefighters were there to offer kids a glimpse into their vehi-
POSTAL ADDRESS
cles and to talk about fire safety. Staff from the city’s community-development department offered folks the chance to weigh in on the future of Littleton, and will funnel those thoughts into the ongoing update of the comprehensive plan. And Jim Taylor, president of the city’s revamped urban-renewal authority, was on hand to answer questions about potential redevelopment projects. Kids enjoyed blowing bubbles thanks to Western Welcome
LITTLETON INDEPENDENT
Week, as well as volleyball and the South Suburban Parks and Recreation Kids Fit Fun Van. Four more such events will be held over the coming months, all from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on the fourth Tuesday: June 24 is at Steeplechase III Condominiums Pool, July 22 is at Harlow Park Pool, Aug. 26 is at TrailMark Park, and Sept. 30 is at Littleton Center. For more information, visit www.littletongov.org.
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Local events marking Memorial Day include the May 24 parade in downtown Denver, two ceremonies in Littleton and one at Fort Logan National Cemetery. The tradition that established the Memorial Day events calls for honoring “all veterans laid to rest in this sacred national cemetery, to all the prisoners of war and those missing in action who never returned, to all who have served and those who, even now, guard the gates of freedom worldwide.” Denver’s annual Memorial Day parade traditionally includes marching units from the military services and floats that often include groups of veterans. The parade steps off at 9 a.m. and winds through the downtown area. On May 26, Littleton’s first Memorial Day ceremony of the day starts at 8 a.m. in the Veterans Circle located in the Littleton Cemetery at 6155 S. Prince St. A second, mirror-image service will be held at 10 a.m. at the Littleton World War II Memorial in Ketring Park, 6000 S. Gallup St. Both ceremonies in Littleton, sponsored by the Pat Hannon Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4666 and the George C. Evans American Legion Post 103, follow the same program, with the El Jebel Pipe Band playing “Amazing Grace” and the All Veterans Honor Guard firing the traditional 21-gun salute. The ceremonies will include reading of the poem “In Flanders Field” and the poem “My Plea,” written by Marine Lance Cpl. Patrick Hannon, the first Littleton resident to die in the Vietnam War. There will also be a reading of a poem written by fallen Navy SEAL Danny Dietz.
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Memorial Day continues on Page 7
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