Arvada Crime Update: June 9 - July 13, 2025

This edition of the crime update includes weekly reports from June 9 through July 13, with data shown below as a total aggregate for this reporting period.

Changes in Homeless Outreach Reporting

Since May 19, Arvada PD and the CORE team have discontinued reporting on contacts and outcomes with homeless individuals, as well as arrests and citations in situations requiring disciplinary action. From January 1 through May 18, Arvada PD reported 457 disciplinary actions against homeless individuals, with arrests of homeless individuals comprising nearly 8% of all arrests during the same period. Some weeks—including one in January, two in April, and one in May—saw this statistic approach 20%.

Arvada Voices has inquired about the reason for discontinuing this reporting but has not received conclusive information. In place of CORE-specific data, Arvada PD now reports calls for service related to homelessness, which range from 38 to 73 calls per week, averaging 57 calls weekly. This category represents the highest volume of calls for service each week, followed by theft, criminal mischief, fraud, harassment, and assault.

Program Effectiveness Concerns

This year, Arvada has documented significant disciplinary actions against homeless individuals (estimated 300 homeless individuals in Arvada as of the 2025 Point-in-Time survey) and reported 420 contacts with only a 34% acceptance rate of offered resources. This raises questions about program efficacy: for the time and money invested in outreach, what measurable impact are we achieving? What data does the city collect to evaluate the effectiveness of homelessness programs, and why aren't these outcomes shared comprehensively with the citizens who fund them?

Resource Allocation Questions

Despite homelessness being a key capital investment driver for the city ($6.35M invested in the ECA property, $2.75M in the Marshall Street property, with both sites remaining vacant), Arvada PD reports indicate the city faces other significant public safety and crime challenges. Theft, property crimes, and drug-related crimes dominate calls for service, with 33% of all crime reports related to theft and over 1,000 property-related crimes in the first half of the year. Additionally, there have been 732 drug-related enforcements, though it remains unclear how the city directly addresses crimes that impact resident safety and economic security.

Moving Forward

Arvada's approach to homelessness has proven expensive, minimally effective, and lacking in transparency. The city should identify areas requiring clear metrics for measuring program success beyond contact numbers and share this information publicly. Given other significant crime trends, Arvada should consider community needs and resource allocation priorities. Based on 2025 data patterns, citizens might question whether resources would be better allocated to property crime prevention for individuals and businesses, community safety programs addressing the 357 assault incidents this year, and evidence-based homelessness solutions rather than unmeasured initiatives.

What solutions do you think the City should explore to make Arvada a place where you feel safe? Tell us in the comments!

Gunfire Reported During Early Morning Confrontation

On June 9, at approximately 4:59 a.m., officers responded to the 9400 block of Ridge Road after receiving reports of gunshots. Witnesses stated a male exited the passenger side of a gray Volkswagen sedan, ran to the driver’s side, and fired two rounds into the car, believed to be driven by a female. The male then re-entered the sedan, which quickly fled the area. No injuries were reported, and responding officers recovered evidence from the scene. (AR25009655)

Masked Suspects Hold Victim at Gunpoint During Daytime Burglary

On June 9, at 6:43 p.m., officers were dispatched to a residence in the 5700 block of Simms Street for a reported burglary in progress. A witness reported seeing a person being held at gunpoint by suspects wearing masks. Responding officers determined the suspects had fled moments earlier in a white Cadillac, last seen heading east. A similar vehicle was stopped nearby, but was ruled out as being involved. This case remains under investigation. (AR25009697)

Vape Shop Rammed; Suspect Fires Gun Before Fleeing

In the early hours of June 10, around 2:12 a.m., officers responded to a burglary alarm at a vape shop in the 14700 block of W 64th Avenue. The storefront had been smashed by a vehicle, and a witness reported seeing four male suspects arriving in a Hyundai sedan and Hyundai SUV. The suspects entered the store and fled in both vehicles. Before leaving, one suspect discharged a firearm toward the building. No injuries were reported. (AR25009710)

Carjacking Suspect Apprehended After Struggle Involving Children

At approximately 10:42 a.m. on June 10, Arvada Police responded to 5101 Kipling Street after a man forcefully pulled a woman from her vehicle while she was placing her two children inside. The suspect claimed he was being chased and attempted to take the car despite the children being present. The mother managed to remove both children before the suspect fled in the vehicle. Officers from multiple agencies located the stolen vehicle and arrested the suspect near Hwy 58 in Golden. He is currently held on charges of Aggravated Robbery and Motor Vehicle Theft. (AR25009744)

Stolen Car Involved in Crash After Eluding Police

On June 14 at 9:30 a.m., officers spotted a man slumped over in a Nissan Rogue with no plates at the Walmart at 9400 Ralston Road. When officers attempted contact, the car fled eastbound and was later involved in a multi-vehicle crash on Ralston Road. Two suspects fled on foot. One was located nearby, pretending to shop at a garage sale, and was arrested. The Nissan had been reported stolen on June 5. (AR25009957)

Burglary and Shooting Suspects Arrested

An April 26 shooting near the 7400 block of W 61st Avenue has resulted in multiple arrests after a detailed investigation. The victim, checking on a relative’s apartment due to suspicious activity, encountered three masked suspects and was shot. On June 16, 20, and 21, all three suspects, Andrew Ortiz, Jaime Martinez-Garcia, and Kevin Arellano-Castillo, were taken into custody in separate locations and charged with offenses ranging from attempted murder to burglary. (AR25006915)

Knife-Wielding Woman Arrested After Walmart Incident

On June 27 at 6:19 p.m., officers responded to Walmart at 9400 Ralston Road after reports of a woman threatening employees with a knife. She fled on foot but was stopped by officers using a conducted energy weapon (CEW) and taken into custody without injury. Investigators learned she had entered the store armed and threatened to kill two employees. She was booked on multiple charges including felony menacing. (AR25010874)

Burglary Suspect Barricades in Basement, Later Arrested

On June 29, at 9:19 p.m., officers responded to a residential burglary near W 84th Lane and Orchard Way. A housesitter discovered an unknown vehicle in the garage and surveillance footage showed a male suspect entering and exiting the home. Officers surrounded the home and located the suspect barricaded in a basement utility room. He was safely taken into custody with the assistance of Jeffco and Wheat Ridge PD. (AR25010980)

Restaurant Burglar Flees After Breaking Window and Attempting Theft

Just after midnight on July 8, officers responded to a burglary at a restaurant near the 7400 block of W 52nd Avenue. The suspect had broken a window to gain entry and attempted to remove cash from the register. The crime was reported approximately 30 minutes after it occurred, and the suspect had already fled in a dark-colored sedan. (AR25011594)

Victim Assaulted Over Prior Dispute in Apartment Parking Lot

On July 9 at 5:50 p.m., officers responded to an apartment complex near the 10900 block of W 63rd Place. Two male suspects reportedly confronted the victim about a previous dispute and assaulted him, with one suspect spitting and another punching the victim in the face. The suspects fled in a black SUV prior to police arrival. The investigation is ongoing. (AR25011763)

Welfare Check Leads to Arrest of Wanted Felon

On July 10 at 6:20 a.m., officers responded to Fox Haven Apartments for a welfare check and learned the subject had an active no-bond warrant for second-degree assault with a deadly weapon. After a brief containment of the apartment, the suspect stepped onto the balcony and surrendered without incident. (AR25011796)

Teen Arrested After Firing Gun Through Apartment Door

At 11:34 a.m. on July 10, officers were called to an apartment on the 12100 block of W 58th Place for a report of shots fired. A 15-year-old male had discharged a firearm through the front door after a maintenance worker knocked. No injuries occurred. The teen was arrested on several charges including illegal discharge, reckless endangerment, and possession of a handgun by a juvenile. (AR25011808)

Vehicle-Ramming Burglary Damages Vape Shop and Neighboring Business

On July 13 at 4:25 a.m., officers responded to an alarm near 6400 Ward Road and found a silver Hyundai had smashed through a vape shop and damaged a neighboring business. Surveillance footage showed a second vehicle, a Dodge Charger, accompanied the Hyundai. Three suspects wearing masks and hoodies entered the store and fled in the Charger. The case is under investigation. (AR25011963)

Community Outreach Resources Enforcement (CORE)

The CORE team focuses on issues in the community related to homelessness. They respond to calls involving homeless people, proactively offer resources, and conduct enforcement when other support methods are not effective.

CORE Team contact and enforcement data is not available for this period. - Total CORE Team Contacts - All contacts resulted in an enforcement action.

Resources Offered

• - Mental health

• - Substance abuse

• - Housing

• - One Small Step info

• - Other

• - Navigator assistance

• - Employment

• - Vital document recovery

- Resources Accepted

Enforcement Actions*

• - Trespass

• - Verbal Warning

• - Citation

• - Arrest - New Charges

• - Jailed - Warrant

*More than one enforcement action may be used per person.

Arrests

392 Total Arrests*

• 166 Taken into custody

• 226 Released on summons

*Arrested persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Classification of charges may change any time after arrest. Arrest data may not be finalized at time of publication.

Crime Data

1021 Total Crime Reports*

Crimes most reported

• 166 Theft (other than vehicle and shoplift)

• 96 Criminal Mischief

• 83 Harassment

• 82 Fraud

• 70 Assault

• 70 Shoplift

• 45 Drug Paraphernalia

• 35 Driving Under the Influence

• 33 Motor Vehicle Theft

• 23 Burglary

• 18 Protection Order Violation

• 5 Eluding

• 6 Disorderly Conduct

*Incidents under investigation may be re-classified as criminal or noncriminal after publication. Crime reports may contain more than one criminal charge. All figures are preliminary and are not meant to be final crime statistics.

Traffic

148 Reported Crashes

• 9 Injury Crash

• 0 Fatality Crashes

1,211 Traffic Stops

• 842 Drivers Cited

Calls for Service

10,921 Total Calls for Service*

Top call types received and dispatched:

• 289 Welfare Check

• 283 Homelessness Related Call/Incident

• 156 Citizen Assist

• 151 Unwanted Party

• 132 Fireworks

• 128 Theft

• 124 Traffic Complaint

• 114 Disturbance

• 106 Harassment

• 101 Suspicious Incident

• 83 Domestic

• 38 Suspicious Person

• 37 Noise Disturbance

• 20 Ordinace Violation

*Total calls for service includes all dispatched and self-initiated activity by Department personnel. Calls for service include criminal and non-criminal activity and may not result in a written report.