Joint law enforcement operation locates 13 missing kids, arrests several fugitives
Pueblo law enforcement agencies and the U.S. Marshals Service for the District of Colorado recently combined forces for a three-day operation in southern Colorado to locate missing and endangered children and arrest local fugitives.
The operation, dubbed "Steel City Rescue," was conducted April 11-13 and spearheaded by current U.S. Marshal and former Pueblo County sheriff Kirk Taylor. It involved the 10th Judicial District Attorney's office, Pueblo County Sheriff's Office and Pueblo Police Department, according to a video summary of the operation posted early Thursday evening on Pueblo County's YouTube page.
The operation saw those law enforcement agencies team up to find children who were missing, whether for civil or criminal purposes, 10th Judicial DA Jeff Chostner said in the video.
The Steel City Rescue team says it identified 16 kids who were potentially endangered and located 13 of them. The program also included the search and arraignment of fugitives.
Pueblo public safety news: Pueblo Fire Department extinguishes two fires Wednesday
Taylor, who began his tenure as U.S. Marshall in October, said the team put together a list in January of children who were missing or “not where they were supposed to be." That list included kids who were running away from home life, escaping foster care, or in danger in the community, among other scenarios, Chostner said.
“It’s fair to say that the sheriff’s office and police department are having issues with manpower,” Pueblo Police Chief Chris Noeller said in the county's video. “To be able to combine resources and go after individuals in our community that are creating violent crime or missing children and be able to focus on those together is important.”
The team also assisted the Cañon City Police Department in the arrest of a “violent drug fugitive” in that area, during which they seized more than 10,000 fentanyl pills and four weapons, Taylor said.
The team also identified 13 sex offender fugitives — of which Taylor said there are more than 1,800 statewide — from the city and county of Pueblo, some of whom were arrested as part of the operation.
Each agency's involvement in the program was extensive. Chostner said he dedicated several attorneys and investigators from his office to aid in the effort and Noeller said Pueblo PD officers, detectives and special unit detectives also were involved.
Taylor said because the team and its resources were in Pueblo for the operation, they decided to “go after the most violent felons.” It received a list from the city and county on suspects with outstanding arrest warrants whom the team then targeted for its operation.
Chostner, Taylor and representatives of other agencies are expected to disclose more information about the operation Friday during a press conference at the DA's office.
Chieftain reporter Josue Perez can be reached at JHPerez@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @josuepwrites.
This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Joint law enforcement operation in Pueblo locates 13 missing kids
