String of brutal crimes over the weekend rocks Colorado Springs

Four shootings within 72 hours of each other left three people dead and three others seriously injured in Colorado Springs.

It started Friday night when a man stumbled into a convenience store with a hole in his cheek. He was shot near South Academy and Hancock Expressway. Despite being shot in the face, he was conscious and talking.

Then on Saturday, Police discovered two bodies shot dead in a car parked next to a west side dog park at Bergamo Way and Lower Gold Camp Road. One of the victims was Serena Garcia. Her cousin Trevor Pellegrin made her a memorial for her after he heard what happened. “I know she wants everybody to keep their head up right now but it’s just hard,” Pellegrin says, “I’m still at a loss for words.”

Pellegrin describes Serena as a beautiful young lady who would never hurt anyone. He says even though police have a suspect in custody, it does not make anything better, “there is no relief because there is no hard evidence that the suspect is guilty.”

A memorial will be held Monday night at 7:30 p.m. at the location where Serena’s body was found.

Less than 12 hours later, on Sunday, the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office got a call at the Value Inn near Peterson Air Force base. When deputies arrived they say a man was lying in the middle of the road with a gunshot wound. He was still alive with the armed suspect nearby. Deputies say the suspect, David Rhodes locked himself in one of the hotel rooms but authorities were able to convince him to come out. He has been charged with attempted first-degree murder.

Later that same day, another shooting. Witnesses say a woman was killed in her car near Airport and Powers roads. One witness says she heard about 15 gunshots. Police are searching for a suspect in that incident.