Arrest warrants issued for Costilla County sheriff, multiple deputies
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COSTILLA COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) - KRDO13 has covered the alleged mishandling of evidence by the Costilla County Sheriff's Office for months. Now, the 12th Judicial District Attorney's Office (DA) has confirmed to KRDO13 that criminal indictments have been filed against the Costilla County sheriff and four others, nearly half of the sheriff's office's law enforcement members.
"No citizen of the San Luis Valley should have any doubts about the integrity of their police force. This office is not afraid to defend that trust," Anne Kelly, Twelfth Judicial District Attorney, said during the Friday press conference announcing the indictment.
Costilla County Sheriff Danny Sanchez is one of the members included in this grand jury indictment. He faces one count of abuse of a corpse and four counts of official misconduct for his alleged handling of unidentified human remains in the Wild Horse Mesa area of Costilla County in 2024, according to the DA.
"My office fully supports law enforcement in the San Luis Valley, but in order to support these honorable and brave men and women, I cannot and will not ignore violations of the trust that a community should have in their police," Kelly said.
According to the indictment, Sheriff Sanchez collected a skull in a used paper grocery bag that was not labelled, marked, or sealed properly and did not contain the teeth, which, if collected, would have provided important information in determining the identity of the decedent.
An apparent witness, whose name was redacted in the indictment, said that Sheriff Sanchez seemed to care more about finding arrowheads than collecting the human remains.
Former Deputy Keith Schultz faces the same charges: one count of abuse of a corpse and four counts of official misconduct for the same incident. Keith Schultz also has an open case regarding official misconduct, according to court records.
Undersheriff Cruz Soto faces nine counts. Two counts of failure to intervene, one count of assault in the third degree for his alleged involvement in a use-of-force incident with a Costilla County citizen suffering from a mental health crisis in February. He also faces two counts of failure to report the use of force and four counts of official misconduct, according to court records.
Sergeant Caleb Sanchez faces two counts of assault, one in the second degree and one in the third degree, for the February incident, according to court records.
Deputy Riley Roland faces the same charges: two counts of assault, one in the second degree and one in the third degree, for the February incident, according to court records.
That incident with a citizen suffering from a mental health crisis is detailed in the indictment.
In early February, Costilla County Deputies were called out to a scene to find a man holding a sharp arrowhead to his neck. According to the indictment, the deputies eventually talked the man into dropping the weapon and said they would consider employing him at the local jail.
The indictment says the deputies patted down the man multiple times, then voluntarily took him to the sheriff's office to speak about potential employment. However, once at the sheriff's office, according to a body-cam transcription in the indictment, Sgt. Sanchez told the man he needed to voluntarily go to the hospital. The man instead asked to be taken home.
According to the indictment, the man began to walk away, then run, and Sgt. Sanchez and Deputy Roland drew their tasers and fired them without warning. The indictment says Sanchez fired his taser twice. Once the man was on the ground, he was forcibly handcuffed by Under-Sheriff Soto, according to the indictment. The man was treated for a fractured rib at the hospital.
Charges were never filed against the man, he was never under arrest, and the use-of-force was never reported. The indictment charges that the incident wasn't formally written up until more than a month later, in March, when the District Attorney's Office requested all body camera footage and reports about the incident.
Read all the published indictments here under the Costilla County section.
During a press conference on March 27, the DA confirmed that all five turned themselves in and are expected to bond out.
However, these charges will not lead to a new sheriff in Costilla County. The district attorney said there is no legal way for her to remove the sheriff or any of the deputies because of these charges.
KRDO13 Investigates asked the three Costilla County Commissioners, who attended the press conference, if they would be calling on Sheriff Sanchez to resign.
"We just learned of the indictment when everybody else learned about it. This afternoon. So I think it's a bit premature to call for the resignation," said Steven Romero, the third district Costilla County Commissioner.
DA Kelly said that state law enforcement agencies, as well as neighboring law enforcement agencies, will help police Costilla County in the meantime.
KRDO13 Investigates has reached out to Sheriff Danny Sanchez for comment and have yet to hear back.
KRDO13 has been speaking with many residents who have shared concerns over practices at the Costilla County Sheriff's Office.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: ‘They deserve better’: 12th Judicial District Attorney raises concern over mismanaged evidence
On Sept. 18, 2025, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrived at the Costilla County Sheriff's Office to remove evidence following allegations that it was being mishandled, the district attorney's office confirmed.
District Attorney Anne Kelly previously said that the sheriff's office is cooperating as the CBI arrives to remove evidence and transfer it to the district attorney's office. D.A. Kelly says it will be reorganized and labeled. The CBI is involved so it can document the chain of custody, she said.
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