A 20-year-old woman was killed by a rock that struck her vehicle while she was driving, and the police believe her death is connected to a larger overnight crime spree, according to the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office.
The incident occurred on Wednesday around 10:45 p.m. when Alexa Bartell was driving home on Indiana Street. Police believe that the rock may have been thrown from a moving vehicle or from the side of the road. The driver was on the phone with a friend at the time, and the call went silent. The friend tracked Bartell’s phone and found her dead inside her car in a field near the road.
The sheriff’s office believes Bartell’s death is part of a larger series of crimes. At least four other cases of rocks being thrown at cars took place the same night.
Police said they recovered rocks that shattered the windshield and entered the car in some cases. The rocks are large, weighing three to five pounds and measuring four to six inches, similar to landscaping rocks, according to Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Jacki Kelly.
Bartell’s work friend described her as a delightful person and a friend to everyone. Someone from her high school days remembered her as the type of friend who was always available for a chat or a good laugh.
The sheriff’s office is collaborating with several other law enforcement agencies, such as the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office, Westminster Police, and Arvada Police, to collect information. They suspect that there could be more victims.
Law enforcement officials have appealed to the public for help in identifying and locating the perpetrators. Investigators are asking people who possess home security or dashboard cameras that might have captured the incident to contact them.
