The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release on Wednesday that three teens were arrested in the death of a 20-year-old Colorado woman. The woman was killed when a large rock thrown at her car went through the window and hit her.
Alexa Bartell died on April 19 after rocks hit several cars that night, said Jacki Kelley, a sheriff’s office public information officer, at a news conference on Wednesday. The government thinks that at least seven people were hit by rocks.
The sheriff’s office said that the three teens were taken into custody Tuesday night because of her death.
The three suspects, Joseph Koenig, Nicholas “Mitch” Karol-Chik, and Zachary Kwak, are all 18 years old. The sheriff’s office said in its statement that they are being charged with first-degree murder and extreme indifference. Kelley says that the three were interviewed on Tuesday night.
The release said that if there are any more charges, they will be made with the First Judicial District Attorney’s Office in Colorado. Kelley said that the three will stay in jail until their first court date on Thursday. At that time, they will be “informed of the charges against them.”
CNN has reached out to the office of the public defender to find out if the three have lawyers.
Kelley said Wednesday that the arrests were made because of “forensics of cell phone devices.” Kelley also said that the family of Bartell found out about the arrests in the middle of the night from the police.
“They’re just so grateful,” Kelley said about Bartell’s family. “They’re still hurting from the worst loss that could happen, but this is the start of their next trip.
“Many people were deeply affected by this story. Kelley said, “This was a beautiful young woman with her whole life ahead of her. She was just driving home.”
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