Rebuilding trust in Costilla County Sheriff’s Office

COSTILLA COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) -- The 12th Judicial District Attorney (DA) tells KRDO13 that they are assisting the Costilla County Sheriff's Office in rebuilding after arrest warrants were issued against the Costilla County sheriff and four others, nearly half of the sheriff's office's law enforcement members.

The now former Sheriff, Danny Sanchez, 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. Sheriff Sanchez resigned from his role after turning himself in.

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. 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.

Undersheriff Soto and Deputy Sanchez were placed on administrative leave while the county conducts an investigation, according to Costilla County officials.

The indictments left the department with only three deputies unaffected by the 12th Judicial District Attorney's (DA) Office's investigation. One of those deputies resigned shortly after the allegations were made public.

Officials with the 12th Judicial District Attorney's office told KRDO13 that they are providing direct support to stabilize the department's operations during the transition. The DA's office says multiple members of their staff are currently at the Costilla County Sheriff's Office (CCSO) helping to ensure staff are informed of proper procedures and have any assistance needed.

District Attorney Anne Kelly described the current state of the office as a significant undertaking for the remaining staff and the region.

"It's kind of been a whirlwind, and obviously, we walked into an office that was in disarray, and we anticipated that, and so we're boots on the ground ready to work for it and thank God the commissioners have been super supportive of the efforts that we've made and we've been in communications throughout this process," District Attorney Anne Kelly said.

To fill the leadership void, Costilla County commissioners appointed Deputy Joe Smith as the interim sheriff.

Kelly noted that the interim leadership has been proactive in addressing the department's past issues.

"What I can say is there's a new sheriff, and he is asking all the right questions, reaching out to all the right resources, and I don't foresee these challenges occurring going forward," Kelly said.

Smith will serve as the interim sheriff until an election is held to select a permanent successor. Kelly says this is an opportunity for change and rebuilding trust in law enforcement in the community.

The DA's office is also holding a community meeting on Thursday for residents to be heard. Kelly plans to introduce the new sheriff before hearing any concerns community members have regarding past incidents with the CCSO.

"The most important thing for any criminal justice system is transparency and fairness. And so that is going to be the focus of our meeting tomorrow to make sure that the community knows that we are going to be as transparent and responsive to them as we possibly can. That was the original idea behind this meeting, and I think it's really important for citizens to know that we are available to them and available to be listening and taking action on the concerns that they're raising," explained Kelly.

The community meeting is set for 6 p.m. Thursday at the Alamosa County Courthouse.

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