Authorities search shooting suspect’s home, neighbors speak out
Law enforcement personnel spent Saturday morning searching the Colorado Springs Planned Parenthood shooting suspect’s home.
Park County Sheriff’s Department Officers, a bomb squad and other agencies were seen searching Robert Dear’s home for explosives and clues.
Dear lives in the small town of Hartsel. It is about 65 miles west of Colorado Springs. Dear moved into a trailer home there a little over a year ago. An unknown woman has also been seen staying at the home.
“He was friendly when I first got here. He’d wave. After that, he kinda became more and more of a recluse,” said Lisa Hawkins.
Hawkins lived close to Dear and says he was always a neighbor who kept to himself.
“I knew there was something about them. They were weird, extremists of some sort, but as long as they didn’t bother me, I didn’t bother them,” said Hawkins.
Hawkins says everything changed when she saw Dear’s home being searched.
“I looked out with the binoculars and there were five [officers] and then they moved and went down Ouray and there ended up being about seven or eight of them,” said Hawkins.
Hawkins never had a conversation with Dear but became suspicious of him after talking with one of her neighbors.
“He went over there and met them and said they were kinda strange. He said they had a lot of anti President Obama literature and stuff against the government,” said Hawkins.
“I got some anti Obama pamphlets [from him] and I didn’t even look at them. He said if you have time look at this later,” said Zigmond Post.
Post says he immediately threw them away. Post saw Dear Wednesday at the local post office and says everything seemed normal.
“He said hi and asked me how I was doing. I mean I would have thought something was wrong if he didn’t say anything to me,” said Post.
As police continue to look for answers, so do Dear’s neighbors.
“I just don’t understand. When people are so unhappy, why do they have to kill other people? You know, I don’t get it,” said Hawkins.
Dear faces first degree murder charges and is scheduled to appear in court on Monday.
