A Colorado grand jury has indicted Costilla County Sheriff Danny Sanchez and four current or former members of his department on charges ranging from official misconduct to corpse abuse and felony assault.
The indictments, announced Friday by 12th Judicial District Attorney Anne Kelly, follow two separate investigations into the rural department. The four current officers charged—Sheriff Sanchez, Undersheriff Cruz Soto, Sgt. Caleb Sanchez, and Deputy Roland Riley—constitute more than half of the sheriff’s office’s total seven-person force. Former Deputy Keith Schultz was also named in the indictment.
The first set of charges stems from an October 2024 incident involving the discovery of human remains on Wild Horse Mesa. According to court documents, a resident reported finding a human skull and teeth with distinctive dental work.
Investigators allege that when Sheriff Sanchez and then-Deputy Schultz responded, they recovered the skull but inexplicably left other remains at the scene. When the evidence was later reviewed, it was found in an unsealed, unlabeled bag with no documented chain of custody. Furthermore, the teeth described by the initial witness were missing from the evidence bag.
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Sheriff Sanchez and Schultz now face charges of official misconduct and corpse abuse.
A second investigation centers on a February encounter within the sheriff’s office. Authorities allege that Undersheriff Soto, Sgt. Sanchez (the sheriff’s son), and Deputy Riley used a Taser on a man experiencing a mental health crisis.
The victim told investigators he believed he was free to leave after refusing “voluntary” hospital transport. When he attempted to walk away, the officers allegedly “roughed him up,” resulting in broken ribs. The man was never charged with a crime or told he was under arrest.
District Attorney Kelly confirmed the following charges in the second incident:
- Undersheriff Cruz Soto: Failure to intervene, failure to report use of force, third-degree assault, and official misconduct.
- Sgt. Caleb Sanchez & Deputy Roland Riley: Second- and third-degree assault.
The indictments have sent shockwaves through the San Luis Valley, raising immediate concerns regarding public safety and law enforcement continuity in the sparsely populated county.
“I cannot and will not ignore violations of the trust that a community should have in their police,” District Attorney Kelly said during a Friday press conference. “No citizen of the San Luis Valley should have any doubts about the integrity of their police force.”
All five defendants turned themselves in on Friday and are expected to post bond. The District Attorney’s Office maintains that the investigation is ongoing as they seek to ensure professional accountability within the region.
