Black Hawk's First Murder Case In 20 Years Comes As A Shock
BLACK HAWK, Colo. (CBS4) - Police in Black Hawk are revealing few details about the shooting death of a man inside a hotel room and an arrest of a woman.
The homicide case is the first in at least two decades in the mountain gambling town, and visitors there expressed surprise when they heard about the case.
The murder took place on Tuesday morning inside a room at the Isle Casino and Hotel.
Officials with the Colorado Bureau of Investigation and Black Hawk Police are conducting an investigation. All authorities will say so far about the relationship between the suspect -- Colleen Marie Loris, 43 -- and victim -- Tony Velasquez, 26 -- is that the two knew each other somehow.
Loris was being held in the Gilpin County Jail and faces numerous charges including second degree murder. She has a long criminal history that includes shoplifting, drugs and credit card fraud.
"It's shocking. It's crazy that that would happen here," said Commerce City resident Heidi Frank, who was visiting Black Hawk on Tuesday. "It seems like such a safe town to come gambling."
"I've lived (in Colorado) my whole life and I've never heard of anything happening up here," said Frank's friend Donnie Harbottle.
Glenwood Springs residents Charlie and Darlene Chavarria were visiting Black Hawk when they heard the news.
"It's a tragedy," Darlene told CBS4.
"It's a big shock," Charlie and Darlene Chavarria said. "You come here and all you expect to have is just good times and everyone enjoying themselves for the holidays or whatever they happen to be here for and when something like that happens it's a big shock.
Harbottle said the crime serves as a warning that "you've always got to be cautious no matter where you're at, but you think it's safe up here."
