Donations being collected to help family of parole officer killed last week in Colorado Springs

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- As of early Monday evening, 101 people had donated more than $9,100 to a GoFundMe account to help the family of a state parole officer who was killed while confronting a suspect last week.

The fund for Christine Guerin Sandoval began receiving donations Saturday, with a goal of $10,000 to help her family pay final expenses.

If you'd like to donate, visit: https://www.gofundme.com/f/for-the-family-of-christine-sandoval.

Sandoval died in a hit-and-run incident last Thursday while trying to serve an arrest warrant to Justin Kula; she was one of three parole officers involved while approaching the suspect in a parking lot at the intersection of Bijou and Spruce Streets.

Sandoval lived in Pueblo and previously worked as a deputy for the Pueblo County Sheriff's Office from 2007 to 2019.; she was remembered by some of her south side neighbors Monday.

"I met her around a year ago, said Ed Armijo. "We were putting sprinkler systems into our yards. So, we started talking. Real quiet people. We spoke a few times, usually about the steel mill. Her husband works at the mill and I used to work at the mill, myself. Just basic things. I talked about the cars her son has."

Other neighbors said that even though they didn't know Guerin Sandoval well, or saw or spoke with her only occasionally, she did little things that stood out.

"On Labor Day, she brought cookies to all the neighbors," said Bonnie Raley. "She loved her children, she loved her neighborhood. Christine was a wonderful person, not just an officer of the law."

John and Wendy Trujillo said that they've known Guerin Sandoval and her family since 2007.

"We got together a few times," the Trujillos said. "We respected and loved each other. We would see her come home, and she would be in uniform, and there would be times when we'd see her with her family, all coming from Walmart with all their groceries."

One of the two other officers also was injured; she was treated at and released from a local hospital Thursday night.

Kula was caught several hours after fleeing the scene and faces charges of manslaughter, leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death, and third-degree assault on a peace officer; authorities said that he has a lengthy criminal history including a previous conviction for assaulting a police officer.

The Southern Colorado Law Enforcement Foundation also is raising money to help Sandoval's family and the other parole officer injured; the amount of donations collected was unavailable Monday.

You can donate by calling 719-634-0058 or by clicking here.

When donating, you're asked to specify which officer or just put "parole;" by indicating "parole," the donation will be divided evenly.