JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. – Deputies in Jefferson County are warning drivers to be the on lookout after a young woman was killed when a large rock was thrown at her vehicle Wednesday night, which they believe is part of similar attacks that have occurred over the past day across the Denver metro.
Alexa Bartell, 20, of Arvada, was driving northbound on Indiana Street in Jefferson County at approximately 10:45 p.m. when the suspect, possibly from a vehicle or the side of the road, threw a large rock at her vehicle, fatally striking the young woman, according to a news release from the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies said Bartell was on her phone talking to a friend when the phone went silent. That friend then tracked her phone and drove to the location on Indiana Street. She found her dead inside her car, which was off the roadway in the field, deputies said in a news release.
“This appears to be part of an overnight crime series involving a light-colored pickup truck or SUV,” deputies said in the release, adding they believe there could be more victims.
UPDATE 4/20 1:38pm - We have photos of a light-colored 4-door 2003-2005 Dodge Ram, with an after-market cowl hood, a tonneau truck bed cover, and a six-inch lift. This truck may be connected to this case. If you have information, call us at 303-271-5612. pic.twitter.com/JsxS76mMle
— Jeffco Sheriff (@jeffcosheriffco) April 20, 2023
Other attacks have taken place across the metro, including:
- 10:04 p.m. on April 19 – Westminster - 100th Ave. & Simms St. – rock through windshield – driver not injured
- 10:36 p.m. on April 19 – Boulder County - McCaslin Blvd & S. Indiana St. (entrance to Rock Creek neighborhood) rock through windshield – minor injuries to driver
- 10:37 p.m. on April 19 – Boulder County – McCaslin Blvd & S. Indiana St. (entrance to Rock Creek neighborhood) - rock vs.Toyota 4-Runner – body damage to vehicle, driver not injured
- 12:24 a.m. on April 20 – Arvada - Hwy 93 at Hwy 72 – rock through windshield – minor injuries to driver
The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office is working with the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office, as well as the Arvada and Westminster Police Departments to gather more information about these series of attacks.
If you were in any of these areas and witnessed anything related to the suspect vehicle or the suspects who may have been inside, call the JCSO tip line at 303-271-5612.
“No piece of information is insignificant,” a spokesperson for the sheriff’s office said. If you have home security or dash cameras that may have caught the vehicle driving by, deputies want to hear from you.
