A woman accused of kidnapping a Lakewood boy was banned from seeing his father

JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. — A woman accused of kidnapping a Lakewood man’s 7-year-old child on Monday was not allowed to contact the man and allegedly threatened his girlfriend about two weeks ago, according to new court documents and a court hearing Tuesday.

The boy’s disappearance prompted an AMBER Alert on Monday after police determined this was the case taken from a Lakewood apartment after a shooting that wounded his father early that morning. The boy was found safe outside Last Chance in Washington County on Colorado’s eastern plains around 3:45 p.m. and the suspect was arrested. The boy has been reunited with his family.

Police identified the suspect as Crystal Star Denmon, 26.

Lakewood

7-year-old who was allegedly kidnapped in Lakewood found safe near Last Chance

Aurielle Green, the boy’s mother, spoke to Denver7 on Monday after learning her son had been found safe. She said her son is very smart, artsy, shy and loves dinosaurs.

“He’s my baby,” she said. “He’s the sweetest kid you’ll ever meet, literally… I just want to hold him and never let him go.”

She said the man injured in Monday’s shooting is the father of her child, and Denmon was his ex-girlfriend.

Denmon was in court Tuesday morning for her initial opinion. She appeared in an orange prison outfit.

In court, the prosecutor said Denmon shot the boy’s father in the chest, stole his phone and took the child from the apartment. Shortly before, she had threatened the man in the apartment – which prosecutors said was caught on camera. At the time of the shooting, Denmon was under a restraining order barring her from contacting the boy’s father, they said. He had repeatedly told her to stay away from him. The man is currently still in the hospital, unconscious with a breathing tube, they said. Police said Monday he is expected to recover. The prosecutor added that Denmon had just had a hearing on Nov. 15 in connection with a case in which she allegedly attacked the man’s girlfriend with brass knuckles.

The prosecution asked for a $500,000 bond, which the defense argued was unconstitutional because Denmon could not afford it. Her attorney requested a $20,000 bond.

At the end of Tuesday’s court hearing, the judge ordered a protective order for both the boy and his father, barring Denmon from contacting them in any way. Noting that there were concerns for the safety of the victim and the community, the judge set bail at just $500,000. Denmon’s next court hearing is scheduled for Dec. 4, when a judge will read the charges against her.

Denver7 obtained Denmon’s arrest affidavit Tuesday morning. Although Denmon has not yet been formally charged, the document lists the charges she faces, including attempted first-degree murder, first-degree burglary while armed, menacing, false imprisonment, violation of protective order and first-degree kidnapping ( no injury). . The First Judicial District Attorney’s Office will determine the final charges against her.

According to her arrest affidavit, Jefferson County authorities received a 911 call around 6:10 a.m. Monday. The caller — who was not identified — said he received a video from a redacted individual “showing a black woman pointing a gun at (redacted) … and threatening to shoot him.” That woman was later identified as Denmon.

Lakewood Police Department

As a result of this call, Lakewood Police responded to the 1700 block of Kendall Street. The affidavit states that while they were at the scene, “the door to (an apartment) opened and they heard someone screaming for help.”

Police found a man “suffering from an apparent gunshot wound” lying near the doorway, the affidavit said. Officers found a shell casing in one of the apartment’s bedrooms, but found no one else. They also found no cellphones or firearms, the affidavit said. Police have not yet determined whether the shooter was Denmon or someone else.

While police were helping the injured man, a neighbor said a boy had been in the home the night before. Police noted that one of the bedrooms was furnished for a child. Police said Monday they believed Denmon kidnapped the boy and fled the scene.

The man was transported to a hospital, where doctors confirmed he had a gunshot wound to his chest, the affidavit said.

During the investigation, police identified the woman in the video as Denmon. They confirmed the video was taken just after 6am on Monday.

“In the video, Crystal is holding a black gun and a male voice, believed to be (redacted) tells Crystal that she has been holding him hostage for hours and asks Crystal to leave his apartment several times, which she refuses to do,” the video said. affidavit reads.

Through a records check, they also learned that Denmon has a mandatory protective order and is not allowed to contact the man or possess firearms.

A Lakewood detective called Denmon’s cell phone and when she answered, she confirmed the missing boy was with her and that she still had a gun. She told the detective she “would not release (the child) because having him keeps her safe,” the affidavit reads. Detectives asked her several times to let the boy go.

At the time the affidavit was written, Lakewood police said Denmon was still on the run and located somewhere on the eastern plains of Colorado. At some point, Colorado State Patrol (CSP) found Denmon driving, but she refused to stop for them, according to the affidavit. Because she had the missing child in the car, CSP did not pursue her car. Instead, they “switched to surveillance,” lost the car around Cheraw in Otero County – at which point the AMBER Alert was issued – and found it again on County Road 59 south of Limon.

At 3:45 p.m., the child and Denmon were both found near Last Chance, about 80 miles from Lakewood. The child was returned to the Denver metro area and reunited with his family.

“It was like the weights came off, and I could just thank God with such a hallelujah praise, because God is good, and I’m so happy now that I just want to jump up and down again. Thank God,” said the grandmother of the boy, Stephanie Vaughn-Green. ‘I would like to thank all the professionals, detectives and police officers. I mean, you know, it was one in a million, and I’m so grateful for them today.”

You can watch the moment he is back in the arms of his family in our Monday report below.

A seven-year-old boy reportedly abducted in Lakewood was found safe near Last Chance on the Eastern Plains

“I’m very grateful for my support system that kept me sane and kept me from crashing,” said Green, the boy’s mother.