ASPEN NATIVE BELIEVED MURDERED
Aspen—The Colorado Bureau of Investigation and the Pitkin County Sheriff’s Office are investigating the apparent murder of Aspen native Nancy Pfister. Pfister’s West Buttermilk Road home has been cordoned off by authorities and two people have been taken into custody.
HARSH SENTENCE FOR ARMED ROBBER
ASPEN (AP) – A man who pointed a handgun at a 75-year-old Basalt woman during a home invasion robbery has been sentenced to 30 years in prison.
Sergio Sanchez pleaded guilty in January to aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon, with added prison time because of the victim’s age. According to police reports, Sanchez went to the home of the woman in 2012 with two other men because they believed she was out of town. They found her in the shower and demanded money.The other two suspects were also captured and ordered to serve time.
PROBATION LIKELY IN GARCO WELFARE FRAUD CASE
ASPEN (AP) – The Garfield County District Attorney’s Office has reached a plea deal with a woman accused in one of the county’s largest welfare fraud cases. The DA says Carbondale resident Idalia Munoz-Morales agreed to plead guilty in a case involving falsified applications for welfare programs like food stamps, Medicaid and burial assistance in order to receive more than $56,000 in benefits for which she was ineligible. Munoz-Morales was charged with nine felonies, including four counts of theft and five counts of forgery, but under the plea agreement she will only plead guilty to one count of felony theft. The crime carries a sentence of two to six years in prison, but prosecutors are recommending probation.
