Police find missing Broncos fan outside of Pueblo Kmart

A Kremmling man who went missing during a Broncos game last Thursday reunited with his loved ones in Pueblo Wednesday morning.

Pueblo police said Paul Kitterman, 53, was found in a Kmart parking lot of the north side of Pueblo, around 3 p.m. Tuesday. Sgt. Eric Gonzales said Kitterman told officers he “had his fill of football and decided to go for a walk” and wanted to go “somewhere warmer.”

Officers found him five days after he disappeared from a Broncos game against the San Diego Chargers. Police believe he walked most, if not all, of the 110 mile distance from Sports Authority Field to Pueblo. Gonzales said officers haven’t found anyone who can confirm giving Kitterman a ride.

“He did not appear to be dehydrated — wasn’t disheveled,” said Douglas Cox, a Pueblo area law enforcement chaplain. “Did not appear to be somebody who slept out [there] for five straight nights.”

Police believe Kitterman arrived in Pueblo on Monday. He told officers he slept in treed areas and in bushes, and even got rid of his Broncos hat so he would not be recognized. Officers arranged for him to stay in a hotel so he could get some rest.

“It seems a little inconsiderate that he would leave his friends and not let anybody know where he was going. He is an adult. If he wants to up and leave a game, go for a walk, he has that choice,” Gonzales said.

Gonzales said a passerby first contacted police about having seen Kitterman around Elizabeth Street and U.S. Highway 50. When police first spotted Kitterman, he was crossing the street from a 7-Eleven into the Kmart parking lot.

Jay Yust, a family friend of Kitterman, reunited with him and told KDVR-TV, “We just gave him a big hug and said we’re happy to see him and hope that he’s OK. He seemed OK, just confused.”

Kitterman’s family released a statement thanking the public for its help, and added that “Paul is exhausted and in a fragile state, both physically and mentally.”

“We still don’t know the whole story and exactly what happened. For the people that do have questions, we’ll absolutely try to answer them,” Yust said.

Denver police do not suspect foul play.