Arvada mayor warns against polarization in final State of the City

Rock-throwing homicide suspects’ a davits paint grim portrait of April 19 events

BY RYLEE DUNN RDUNN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Arrest a davits — including statements from two of the three suspects — in the rock-throwing death of Alexa Bartell suggest that suspects Joseph Koenig, Nicholas “Mitch” Karol-Chik and Zachary Kwak have a history of throwing projectiles at cars, photographed Bartell’s car after throwing a fatal rock through her windshield, and discussed plans to deny involvement in the crime.

Koenig, Karol-Chik and Kwak — all 18-year-old residents of Arvada — were taken into custody by Je erson County sheri ’s deputies on the evening of April 25, almost a week after the murder of 20-year-old Bartell, who was one of seven motorists whose vehicles were hit by large landscaping rocks on the night of April 19.

Outgoing Mayor

Williams

BY RYLEE DUNN RDUNN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Arvada Mayor Marc Williams recently gave his nal State of the City, capping 24 years as an elected o cial by looking back on how the city has changed and looking for ward to what lies ahead — including an upcoming election that promises to overhaul a council that’s remained fairly consistent for the last few years.

Williams — who began serving on city council in 1999 as a councilmember and was elected mayor 12 years ago — began his address by comparing the city two decades ago to Arvada of the present.

“In 1999, there was no Gold Line or transit hub,” Williams said in the April 21 address. “72nd Avenue was not an east/west corridor… 24 years ago, we maintained 780 lane miles of paves streets — today, that number has nearly doubled to 1440… in 1999, we didn’t have the Je erson Parkway to complete the missing link of the beltway — OK, we still don’t have it, but I’m telling you, there is still a chance!”

Williams discussed the reinvigoration of Olde Town and Arvada’s business community coming together to weather the COVID-19 pandemic. He praised partnerships — such as the city’s relationship with the Apex Parks and Recreation District and the Je erson County School District — as strengths of the city’s management and leader- ship.

Discussing the murder of two Arvada Police O cers over the past two years — Gordon Beesley in 2021 and Dillon Vako in 2022 — Williams recounted the “dark days” their passing brought to the city, and the outpouring of grief and support that the community offered the police department in the aftermath.

Looking to the present, Williams cited homelessness as a primary concern as the city moves forward, and said the city team was looking to enact legislation that would criminalize actions by homeless individuals.

“One challenge facing the entire city — but acutely felt by the police department — is the increase of visible homeless in our community,” e following account is based on the allegations in the a davits:

While Koenig declined to be interviewed by investigators, Karol-Chik and Kwak gave somewhat con icting accounts that point to a repeated pattern of throwing projectiles at moving vehicles. Karol-Chik told investigators that he and Koenig had been involved in throwing objects — including a statue and other rocks — on “at least 10 separate days” since at least February.

On April 19, Karol-Chik and Koenig bought a “project” car, according to Karol-Chik, around 4 or 5 p.m., after which Karol-Chik moved the car to a friend’s house, drove to Kwak’s house to pick him up, and then continued to get Koenig.

Karol-Chik’s statement says that he and Kwak both collected landscaping rocks from the Walmart on 72nd Avenue and Sheridan Boulevard, loading them into the bed of Karol-Chik’s pickup, a Chevrolet Silverado 1500.

A fourth man said he was with the trio at the Walmart, but asked to be taken home when he suspected the

EVENTS, P4