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Violent Past, Drug Use In Crime Spree Suspect's Background

By Rick Sallinger

DENVER (CBS4)- Who would rob a bank, assaulting the employees, shoot a man for his car and beat up a woman, firing a gun and striking her daughter?

Lakewood Police say Miguel David Sanders is one of three men who went on a violent crime spree on Wednesday. He is accused of crimes ranging from attempted murder to kidnapping.

Sanders was arrested on Wednesday hiding beneath a school bus at the bus garage outside Sheridan High School after a crime spree that included a bank robbery, carjacking and two shootings. If indeed he was one of the "Scream" mask-wearing bank robbers, he has previous crime experience on his resume.

Court documents obtained by CBS4 include a sentencing statement filed in U.S. District Court in 2010 when Sanders was sentenced in another bank robbery. In 2007, it was Vectra Bank at 3600 Quebec in Denver that was held up and employees assaulted. Sanders was one of those arrested and convicted.

The statement filed gives background on Sanders, who went by the name David. It says he was born to parents addicted to crack cocaine. His parents split up and he was shuttled
between them. According to the sentencing memorandum, Sander's father would sell his toys to buy crack. When the boy turned 11 his father gave him crack for the first time.

Growing up in Park Hill, the young Sanders joined a gang to "fit in" at age 14. He and his two brothers were all shot before their 21st birthdays. At age 16 he found his mother and a friend killed, shot in the head.

Within a month, Sanders took part in the burglary of a gun shop in Jefferson County. He was sentenced to two years at the Department of Human Services. He earned praise and high marks during this time.

Life's traumas continued for Sanders when his father died.

The memorandum filed by the U.S. Attorney's office concludes, "In spite of Miguel's tragic life story, he has significant strengths that which will serve him well when he is released into society."

He was sentenced to six years in prison and five years supervised release. Apparently he did not serve all of that time. Now he is behind bars again for what sounds like deja vu: assaulting bank employees while robbing a bank.

This time that was just the beginning.

CBS4's Rick Sallinger is a Peabody award winning reporter who has been with the station more than two decades doing hard news and investigative reporting. Follow him on Twitter @ricksallinger.

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