(KRDO) -  A Pueblo man tells KRDO13 Investigates that for decades he visited what he thought was his grandmother's grave has had a headstone at the Cavalry Cemetery in the City of La Junta since her early death in 1946 It was just last fall in 2024 that city officials with La Junta told him that someone else could be buried there It was the same plot where he buried his own mother just a year prior to the notice the City of La Junta has been ordered by a judge to pay for the movement of Montano's mother's remains there's still a major missing piece to the puzzle: his grandma is still missing Montano has several members of his family tree at the Cavalry Cemetery Bessie left behind several children of hers in her untimely passing meaning she went her whole life with no memories of her own mother something that stuck with her through her own death from cancer in 2022 "Her dying wish was to be buried beside her own mother's grave," explained Montano so she felt she wanted to be close to her in death. I promised her on her deathbed that I would do that." matching a symbol on his mother's headstone the ink has helped keep her spirit with him "It's a reminder of what we've gone through and it's also a reminder of my faith," he explained he buried her cremains directly across from the headstone for Bessie Bank records even show that Montano paid the City of La Junta $155 dollars for her burial was me putting her in the ground," said Montano Montano got a voicemail on his phone from Erin Harris who was the contracted City Attorney for La Junta She stated she needed to talk with him about the grave plot and gave her condolences over his mother's recent passing "They have no idea where my grandmother is and that while that might be her headstone her direct quote to me was that there might be no one in that cemetery plot 'It's too expensive to find out about this KRDO13 Investigates found within La Junta cemetery code that it costs $1,500 for the disinterment of an adult gravesite a process that needs the written approval of a judge and those who own the grave site They also tell Montano that he is not the rightful owner of the grave plot where his mother and it's their grandmother whose Flo's cremains were buried alongside KRDO13 Investigates is not naming the two siblings involved in the situation at the request of Montano who believes they haven't done anything wrong It is important to note that their grandma died the same year as Bessie did A records request from KRDO13 Investigates shows a copy of the plot deed from 1947 The entire situation prompted the City of La Junta to file a Declaratory Judgment with the Otero County Court It is a legal process that avoids going to a trial by having all parties within a certain matter agree to certain stipulations in order to settle the situation alleging that Montano was claiming to have had ownership of the grave plot which comes into obvious conflict with the sisters' possession of the deed KRDO13 Investigates found through a records request that the court filing almost didn't even happen emails between the City of La Junta and the two sisters show that the city was going to move both Flo and Bessie's markers and Flo's remains It was only when the sisters went out of their way to request that the city contact Montano to alert him of the issue at hand that the city then arranged the call to him later that month "We owe a debt of gratitude to that family because they prevented them from moving my mom anywhere We don't even know where they would have put her," explained Montano Putting his disbelief aside that the city almost took action without his consent Montano says he also has no idea where the idea of a dispute over the plot's ownership even came from We asked and sought permission from La Junta to bury her there Its still unclear as to how Bessie was buried at the grave decades ago if the plot didn't technically belong to Montano's lineage at the time nor how Montano was able to pay the City of La Junta $155 dollars for Flo's burial in 2023 It's one of many questions the City of La Junta has not answered for us as of the writing of this article was to have an Otero County judge decide what Montano and the two sisters would need to do with their property The stipulations began rather straightforward: the city would arrange the removal of the cremains of Florence Pacheco and have them placed under the control of Samuel Montano who intended to have them moved to Roselawn Cemetery in Pueblo the City of La Junta would reimburse the sisters with up to $700 for the creation of a new headstone for their grandma took issue with the fact that the city ignored his request for the city to pay for the transfer of Flo and Bessie's items since he felt that he was the one being wronged in the situation they offered us first to sell a plot [to us] here and then they offered us $1,500," explained Montano where we live and I made it clear to [their attorney] that we don't want my mother here An email obtained by KRDO13 Investigates from Bradley Tucker the attorney representing the City in the declaratory judgment "a clear answer on whether the city knows where his grandmother we need to clarify whether we have any way of determining that." Tucker's response was: "The city does not know where she is buried and has no way of determining that." It made Montano realize that he would likely never get the truth about his grandma's body and subsequently that his mother's dying wish to be buried with her was never actually fulfilled "At least she knew that I tried," said a teary-eyed Montano would believe any of this," he later added KRDO13 Investigates spent weeks trying to get answers on behalf of Montano we exchanged emails with La Junta City Manager Michael Hart who originally agreed to an interview on March 13 to say that he was advised of the ongoing litigation and that he could not speak about it any further we continued to ask a number of questions via email hoping to gain a more basic understanding of how this happened and give the City the opportunity to address claims made by Montano We then called and left messages for Hart twice we also called City Attorney Erin Harris-- twice We even reached out via email to the Mayor of La Junta "Michael and Erin should have a response for you soon regarding the specific concerns you’ve raised." We never heard from them KRDO13 Investigates drove down to La Junta on April 2nd to try and speak with Mr We happened to catch him out on a lunch break We explained that we respected the integrity of the ongoing litigation to give the city a fair opportunity to address how exactly this all happened I've been on the job now for about a month and a half," stating that he had only taken office in early 2025 after the previous long-time city manager retired in 2024 He said that he would take a look at the emails that we had sent to him and that he would try to answer them later that day when we planned to circle back to City Hall we were told he was at the office but not available Our cameras happened to spot him through an open doorway standing just around the corner from our conversation with his secretary Montano has continued to fight the stipulated orders because he says he doesn't want to settle the case and allow the City to get away without answering for his grandma' missing body "There is no price tag over someone's memories, their loved ones or their faith, and all of those have been trampled on by the city of La Junta He planned to hire an attorney to help do so but after seeing how much it may cost him to litigate the situation he reluctantly agreed to partake in a final April 16 court conference between the city and the two sisters to resolve the matter the Otero County judge assigned to the case dismissed the Declaratory Judgement since both he and the two sisters clarified that there was no dispute over who owned the plot the judge ordered the City of La Junta to pay for the removal of Flo's remains and the removal of her and Bessie's markers which will be transferred into Montano's possession the city will also have to pay $700 towards the two sisters' new headstone for their grandmother at Cavalry Cemetery Montano says those items will be brought to Roselawn Cemetery in Pueblo He added that even once the paperwork was filed there was never an apology by the city over his grandma's misplacement Tyler is a reporter for KRDO. Learn more about him here. KRDO NewsChannel 13 is committed to providing a forum for civil and constructive conversation Please keep your comments respectful and relevant. You can review our Community Guidelines by clicking here If you would like to share a story idea, please submit it here Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Community Guidelines | KRDO Jobs | FCC Applications | KRDO FCC Public File | KRDO FCC Applications | Do Not Sell My Personal Information | Contest Rules Your access to this service has been limited If you think you have been blocked in error contact the owner of this site for assistance If you are a WordPress user with administrative privileges on this site please enter your email in the box below and click "Send" You will then receive an email that helps you regain access Wordfence is a security plugin installed on over 5 million WordPress sites The owner of this site is using Wordfence to manage access to their site You can also read the documentation to learn about Wordfence's blocking tools or visit wordfence.com to learn more about Wordfence Click here to learn more: Documentation (opens in new tab) 5 May 2025 21:45:01 GMT.Your computer's time: document.write(new Date().toUTCString()); Daily Weather Report Powered By: A wildfire burned around La Junta on Sunday Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: Stories you've missed since your last login: Recommended stories based on your interests: (KRDO) - Some expecting mothers in southeast Colorado will now be traveling an hour or longer to deliver their babies after the labor and delivery unit at the Arkansas Valley Regional Medical Center (AVRMC) in La Junta shut down on April 30 Hospital leaders tell KRDO13 the closure was not one they wanted to make but they could no longer ignore the loss of about $200,000 per month from the unit They explain it's due to low Medicaid reimbursements The CEO of AVRMC previously told KRDO13 that "keeping [the unit] open would have brought the whole hospital down." A Registered Nurse with AVRMC who has worked with the hospital since 1978 says that in the 1980s they used to have about 400 births per year she says only 110 people delivered babies within the unit But doctors from the OB unit tell KRDO13 it wasn't the lower volume that is the issue but instead affirmed that low medicaid reimbursements paired with the high volume of medicaid users in their area is what made the finances fall into dire straights mothers like Shelby Clarke who live in Campo says she'll now travel multiple hours to Pueblo for her next birth "What happens when my water breaks and if the like you don't have that much time." Clarke stated "It is extremely unsafe having to go that far while in active labor." as families near La Junta will now have to drive roughly 60 miles in order to deliver with doctors and nurses at a hospital Prowers Medical Center officials tell KRDO13 they've accepted 27 new mothers over the last few months They stated that they are taking in any new patients for OB services "I tore internally and began to hemorrhage it came down to choosing between him and I." It's those kinds of situations that scared her as a first time mother and it's what worries the former director of the OB floor in La Junta There's no way around it in some of those emergencies There's no other choice." said Diane McElroy just because of the longer drives for a simple appointment "That's a lot of worry to go 60 miles to just know [a diagnosis] I'm afraid people won't go because it's such a trek" she said about the additional distance to get to either hospital Clarke says she has been going to a hospital in Pueblo four times per month since January in preparation for the closure in La Junta It's about a seven hour round trip for her and her husband and it's likely the where she'll have to deliver her second-born child "Lamar is far enough to have to go at an hour and a half pushing an additional two and a half hours is dangerous But three to get to your nearest hospital that can deliver as far as mothers in more remote areas like she is Clarke says the reasons he has to go to Pueblo and cannot go to Lamar is due to the fact that Prowers Medical Center in Lamar won't accept her for a delivery as she wants to have a VBAC (Vaginal Birth After Cesarian) which can pose risks during the delivery of the child Prowers Medical Center leadership say that is an existing policy that is not new "I want to express just how deeply troubling this development is not just for our city The loss of maternity services means women in the Arkansas Valley will now be forced to travel hours to deliver their babies As I mentioned it’s a trip through mostly a two lane highway and that’s a tough drive for any expectant mother in good weather what if we are facing inclement weather And it signals a devastating trend for rural Colorado." If you are a WordPress user with administrative privileges on this site please enter your email address in the box below and click "Send" Click here to learn more: Documentation 5 May 2025 21:45:19 GMT.Your computer's time: document.write(new Date().toUTCString()); (KRDO) - A couple in La Junta have been charged with child abuse after hospital staff found skull fractures and noted malnourishment in their baby stemming from a call to police by a concerned neighbor who noticed the injuries La Junta Police Department (LJPD) arrested 25-year-old Taylor Bolfer and 41-year-old Charles Mcllveen on Tuesday It came after an investigation into a call for service they responded to at Morning Side Heights apartment complex It was that day they received a concerned call from a woman and her daughter about their upstairs neighbor's newborn child Tiffany Whiting says she was returning some laundry to Bolfer and Mcllveen when she saw the newborn baby in the couple's arms and noticed what looked like some marks on the infant's head She then asked to hold the baby and look after him for a few minutes to give the couple some time to themselves That's when Whiting and her daughter looked at the infant more intently noticing the 7-week-old baby had distinct marks of head trauma They noted the baby had loose skin and appeared malnourished There was open wounds on the baby," Whiting told KRDO13 on Thursday Arrest records for Bolfer and Mcllveen obtained by KRDO13 on Thursday after police consulted the medical staff at the Arkansas River Valley Regional Center who evaluated the baby after it was brought in by ambulance They noted "significant" skull fractures to the Parietal bone with one significant vertical fracture on the Parietal bone and one horizontal fracture to the Parietal bone Personnel described the injuries as "abusive injuries that could impact [the baby's] growth and development." Staff also noted the infant's ribs were visible and that it was skinny and pale with no stored fat describing the baby as "extremely" malnourished The infant was then quickly sent to Children's Hospital Colorado Springs KRDO13 has asked LJPD who has custody of the baby at this time and its health status "I think we all just kind of cried and bawled our eyes out explaining that the apartment complex is full of families who were appalled at the discovery earlier this month They were so concerned with the newborn's well-being that families in the complex put together a memorial and/or vigil of sorts just outside the door to the couple's unit not knowing if the child was going to survive or not Not even a week." Whiting added about how long the infant may have survived had she not spotted the child's injuries that day Bolfer and Mcllveen told police in interviews that no one else has ever cared for their baby other than them except for the time it was with a new babysitter for approximately ten minutes which was right before the welfare check call was made on April 8 Detectives also asked if there were any incidents of the baby falling from an elevated surface Bolfer said she had never seen anything like that happen while Mcllveen stated that he did have one accident where the baby fell out of his arms around two to three weeks ago and that the baby hit its head on the play pen He told detectives that he caught the baby in mid-air and that the infant never hit the floor and stated they never sought medical attention because they thought the baby was okay the two were charged with a singular Class 3 Felony count of Child Abuse: knowingly/recklessly resulting in serious bodily injury Although Bolfer and Mcllveen were arrested on Monday they were both back at their apartment unit by Thursday as they were released on a Personal Recognizance bond A resident told KRDO13 that the couple answered the door meaning they were in fact home on Thursday afternoon asking if they would speak with us and address the charge against them The couple is due in the Otero County courthouse for a non-criminal appearance over "Dependency and Neglect" on April 22 as is customary with any case involving a child whereas their first criminal hearing regarding their Child Abuse charges will be held on April 24 at the courthouse Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInLA JUNTA (KKTV) - A brush fire that ignited over the weekend in southeastern Colorado is now fully contained named for the mile marker off of Highway 50 it started near was first reported late Sunday afternoon in a drainage ditch The La Junta Fire Department said by the time its crews reached the scene The fire began burning towards Highway 194 firefighters worked to protect the historic Bent’s Old Fort which is located near where the fire was burning firefighters kept the blaze from threatening the fort and any homes in the area The fire was declared 100 percent contained Monday night 5 May 2025 21:45:29 GMT.Your computer's time: document.write(new Date().toUTCString()); 5 May 2025 21:45:31 GMT.Your computer's time: document.write(new Date().toUTCString()); 5 May 2025 21:45:37 GMT.Your computer's time: document.write(new Date().toUTCString()); 5 May 2025 21:45:38 GMT.Your computer's time: document.write(new Date().toUTCString()); 5 May 2025 21:45:44 GMT.Your computer's time: document.write(new Date().toUTCString()); 5 May 2025 21:45:47 GMT.Your computer's time: document.write(new Date().toUTCString()); 5 May 2025 21:45:49 GMT.Your computer's time: document.write(new Date().toUTCString()); and Richard and Jen; ten grandchildren: Brienne and Garrus Livar; five great-grandchildren: Adrian Bojorquez He is preceded in death by his loving wife Gloria; parents Margie Sandoval and Bernice Garcia and sisters-in-law Roger graduated from Albuquerque High School in 1955 and the University of Albuquerque in 1976 He served in the United States Air Force during the Vietnam war and retired from the New Mexico Air National Guard in 1992 with the rank of SMSgt Roger played basketball for Albuquerque High School and enjoyed bowling and especially golf Bernadette with a rosary starting at 9:30 am followed by a service at 10:00 am Roger is resting in comfort in the arms of the heavenly father Account processing issue - the email address may already exist it provides narrative coverage of local trends going beyond the headlines to keep you informed Stay informed with the latest top headlines from your trusted local source the Albuquerque Journal—delivered to your inbox every day Stay in the loop with the top stories of the week delivered straight to your inbox every Saturday Sign up to see what’s trending and get the latest on the stories that matter most to our readers Get breaking news and important alerts sent straight to your inbox as they happen Stay up-to-date with the latest sports headlines and highlights from the Albuquerque Journal Get the latest on local happenings delivered straight to your inbox Invalid password or account does not exist Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account Generated by Wordfence at Mon, 5 May 2025 21:45:54 GMT.Your computer's time: document.write(new Date().toUTCString());. 2024.The third annual Tarantula Festival brought visitors to the state’s southeastern town of La Junta over the weekend to witness the mating season of Colorado’s brown tarantula These two-toned creatures are known to walk around the grasslands of the region after dusk each September and October looking for a partner But it was only until 2022 when the city decided to create a festival around this phenomenon that included tours of the nearby Comanche National Grassland.  said additional bus tours were added for the two-day event after seeing how popular the tour was last year.  “Both nights of our tours were full at 75 people who were able to go out on the grassland in five buses with our tour guides and volunteers and researchers to spot tarantulas and learn about not only the tarantulas but the grassland,” Denahy said the city also coordinated with local police and sheriff’s departments as well as the Colorado Department of Transportation and Colorado State Patrol to make sure visitors were going to the right location to see tarantulas Denahy said pulling over on county roads in the grassland is the best and safest option to see a tarantula arts and crafts vendors and an education pavilion the town’s only movie theater was fittingly playing Arachnophobia.  Denahy said while it's hard to estimate turnout numbers for the free event signups for the bus tours have offered a glimpse into its growing popularity thanks in part to word of mouth and more online information from the city She’s heard about visitors coming not only from Denver but outside the state and even outside the country “We’re working really hard on the educational piece,” she said that they are doing it in a responsible and respectful way so we added a lot of information on our website of how to do that.” Next year’s Tarantula Fest is already scheduled for Sept. 26-27.  You want to know what is really going on these days We can help you keep up.  The Lookout is a free daily email newsletter with news and happenings from all over Colorado Sign up here and we will see you in the morning Colorado Postcards are snapshots of our colorful state in sound. They give brief insights into our people and places, our flora and fauna, and our past and present, from every corner of Colorado. Listen now. © 2025 Colorado Public Radio. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy 5 May 2025 21:46:06 GMT.Your computer's time: document.write(new Date().toUTCString()); 5 May 2025 21:46:09 GMT.Your computer's time: document.write(new Date().toUTCString()); 5 May 2025 21:46:11 GMT.Your computer's time: document.write(new Date().toUTCString()); A federal judge agreed last week that various law enforcement and medical defendants had not violated the rights of a suicidal man who died unattended in a holding cell of the La Junta Police Department The surviving son and daughter of Glyn Hart filed suit over their father's 2021 death They advanced claims under federal and state law seeking to hold liable the doctor who cleared Hart for release But in a March 19 order Domenico found the defendants were not liable under the U.S as there was no evidence the government's policies were blind to the safety of suicidal detainees "Plaintiffs in these cases must meet the very difficult burden of showing not just that the City could have done more and not even that the City knew it could do more," he wrote "Plaintiffs must show that the City knew that without doing more (whether it comes to training or facilities) its employees were likely to deprive citizens of their constitutional rights." Domenico suggested some of the plaintiffs' claims under Colorado law — including negligence and state constitutional violations — "may have some merit." Therefore he permitted those to be refiled in state court The attorney for the plaintiffs told Colorado Politics he anticipates pursuing the state law claims further Hart was intoxicated and driving to a lake to attempt suicide but he crashed his vehicle into another parked vehicle Zgorzynski first took Hart to the Arkansas Valley Regional Medical Center so he could be cleared for the jail James Brady was the doctor who evaluated Hart and indicated Hart was able to be booked into jail He told Zgorzynski to watch Hart and to bring him back for an evaluation when he became sober Brady also advised contacting a mental health center "if suicidal ideation persists." Before Hart could be taken to the Otero County Jail Zgorzynski stopped by the La Junta Holding Facility Based on their conversation after leaving the hospital Zgorzynski did not sense Hart was still suicidal He left Hart alone to complete his paperwork and allowed Hart to keep his hooded sweatshirt Hart extracted the drawstring from his hoodie The police chief requested that the Prowers County Sheriff's Office conduct an investigation The investigators concluded Zgorzynski violated departmental policy by failing to take away Hart's hoodie and by not checking on him every 15 minutes The department demoted Zgorzynski as a consequence Hart's children argued the city's inadequate policies and training were responsible for their father's death and that Zgorzynski's actions violated the Colorado Constitution They also contended Brady was negligent in discharging Hart and that the hospital violated the federal Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) The defendants moved to resolve the case in their favor without a trial The medical defendants also pointed their finger at the law enforcement defendants for causing Hart's death Domenico addressed only the claims made under federal law For the EMTALA claim, Domenico noted Congress passed the 1986 law to prevent facilities from "dumping" uninsured patients onto other hospitals without stabilizing them first The question was whether Hart was "stable" at the time he was discharged Hart and sent him off on his own ('patient-dumping') or had it sent him back to police custody without informing them of his suicidal ideations then it might be said that his condition was likely to deteriorate But that is not what the undisputed facts show," said Domenico Because Brady could not do a full evaluation on Hart due to his intoxication and because the doctor gave instructions to Zgorzynski about next steps Domenico could not say Hart was discharged without regard to his stabilization it is obvious everyone should have done more," Domenico wrote Domenico noted the police department did have policies in place to mitigate risk to detainees even if Zgorzynski did not follow some of them that night there had been two other suicide attempts at the jail that were averted in recent years the City had no reason to believe its policies and practices were likely to lead to a successful suicide attempt," he wrote the law does not permit application of hindsight to cases such as this." If you or someone you know is experiencing suicidal thoughts or a crisis call 844-493-TALK (8255) or text “TALK” to 38255 or call or text 988 A federal judge last week dismissed the claims against an Avon police sergeant who transported a suicidal man to the Eagle County jail Email notifications are only sent once a day Colorado Politics is published both in print and online Our website features subscriber-only news stories daily designed for public policy arena professionals Member subscribers also receive the weekly print edition of our award-winning newspaper containing outstanding features and news stories Secure your subscription to Colorado’s premier political news journal You can be in the know right alongside Colorado’s political insiders 5 May 2025 21:46:20 GMT.Your computer's time: document.write(new Date().toUTCString()); 5 May 2025 21:46:25 GMT.Your computer's time: document.write(new Date().toUTCString()); 5 May 2025 21:46:31 GMT.Your computer's time: document.write(new Date().toUTCString()); Generated by Wordfence at Mon, 5 May 2025 21:46:34 GMT.Your computer's time: document.write(new Date().toUTCString());. The agency had already been working to stabilize the adobe structure that was originally reconstructed in the 1970s but the heavy snow accelerated existing problems and resulted in substantial deterioration of the plastered brick walls "We are committed to preserving this important site and its story," said site superintendent Eric Leonard "This temporary closure will allow the National Park Service to assess the extent of the damage and begin work to stabilize the structure once again providing a safe environment for visitors and employees.” The agency said the ongoing problems are due to decades of use and deficiencies in how the fort was originally reconstructed The fort structure had also temporarily closed earlier this summer for asbestos removal Visitors will be allowed back inside the fort once the adobe building is stabilized The park’s grounds remain open daily from 9 a.m except holidays and entry fees are waived at this time The park service reminds visitors to “be prepared for the often unpredictable weather of the high plains Southern Colorado is changing a lot these days Sign up for the KRCC Weekly Digest here and get the stories that matter to Southern Colorado Contact KRCCFCC Applications & FilesFacebookInstagramNews That Matters Generated by Wordfence at Mon, 5 May 2025 21:47:43 GMT.Your computer's time: document.write(new Date().toUTCString());. The city saw several inches of snow drop overnight A winter storm warning continues across most of Southern Colorado and northern New Mexico through Saturday morning canceling school days and making conditions hazardous across the region the warning is set to expire Thursday afternoon though a winter storm watch will remain in effect through Saturday morning The latest forecast from the National Weather Service in Pueblo suggests the biggest impacts will be south of Pueblo County and east into Baca County Parts of Las Animas County could get close to two feet of additional snow through Saturday and anywhere from 2 to 13 inches in Colorado Springs More than a foot of snow is being reported in Canon City 8 inches in La Junta and around 2 to 6 inches in parts of Pueblo Southbound Interstate 25 is closed from Pueblo to the New Mexico state line Highway 24 is closed in both directions from Calhan to Limon Other road closures in Southern Colorado include: Travel throughout the region could be dangerous. Check COtrip.org for the latest on road conditions Copyright © 2015 The Denver Post 5 May 2025 21:48:02 GMT.Your computer's time: document.write(new Date().toUTCString()); 5 May 2025 21:48:08 GMT.Your computer's time: document.write(new Date().toUTCString()); 5 May 2025 21:48:13 GMT.Your computer's time: document.write(new Date().toUTCString()); Contribute Now