Three Colorado teenagers have been arrested for allegedly throwing rocks at five separate vehicles across Jefferson County last week, killing one 20-year-old woman, authorities announced Tuesday.
The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO) on Tuesday identified the suspects as Joseph Koenig, 18; Nicholas “Mitch” Karol-Chik, 18; and Zachary Kwak, 18, of Avada, Colorado.
“This week’s recognition of Crime Victims’ Rights reminds us of the courage and resilience of crime victims, including the Bartell family. They are our motivation,” JCSO said in a Tuesday statement.
Between 10 p.m. and 12 a.m. on April 19 and April 20, the suspect or suspects allegedly threw rocks at five different cars, injuring multiple drivers and killing 20-year-old Alexa Bartell after a rock went through her windshield while she was driving on the 10600 block of Indiana Street, according to the JCSO.
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The suspects are each facing charges of first-degree murder and extreme indifference. The First Judicial District Attorney’s Office may file additional charges in the future. Mugshots were not available at the time of publication.
Bartell had been driving while talking to her friend on the phone and then went silent.
Her friend tracked Bartell’s location through her phone and located her vehicle on the side of the road. The 20-year-old woman was deceased inside.
“Her friend was worried, so her friend used an app to track her phone, drove to the location where it looked like Alexa’s phone was just sitting … still,” Kelley told FOX 31 Denver. “She discovered that Alexa’s car had gone off the road on Indiana into a field. And then she discovered her body inside.”
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Authorities described the rock that hit Bartell’s vehicle as a landscaping rock to FOX21.
Bartell’s high school friend, Emily Audette, told FOX 31 that the 20-year-old victim “really left a mark on people.”
“It just doesn’t feel real,” Audette said. “She was always just someone you could go to about anything, someone you could always talk to. She was just friends with everybody and made everybody laugh.”
Colorado authorities are still searching for suspects in the attacks and are asking anyone with information to contact the JCSO tip line at 303-271-5612.
