Small-town Colorado newspapers stolen after running story about rape charges at police chief’s house
Nearly all the copies of a small-town Colorado newspaper were stolen from newspaper racks.
According to a report from The Associated Press, The Ouray County Plaindealer reportedly published a story about charges filed over alleged rapes that occurred at an underage drinking party at the police chief’s house while the chief was asleep.
The newspaper later posted the story on social media and removed its website paywall so people could read about the felony sexual assault charges filed against three men, including a relative of the police chief, for actions that allegedly occurred at a May 2023 party in Ouray where drugs and alcohol were used, according to court records.
The suspects were ages 17, 18, and 19 at the time, and the person who reported the rapes was 17, according to the report.
AP News said the Ouray County Sheriff’s Office has identified a suspect who will be cited for the theft.
“The suspect is not a member or relative of local law enforcement and not associated with the defendants in the recently reported sexual assault,” their statement said.
