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Briefing, January 7

Published January 7, 2006 at midnight

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DENVER

Suspect held in burglary of chief's home

A 20-year-old former Denver man was being held in Des Moines, Iowa, on charges that he burglarized Police Chief Gerry Whitman's house in November.

Peter Nicholas Lewis was being held in the Polk County Jail pending extradition to Colorado, jail officials said.

Lewis was linked to the Nov. 8 burglary by a fingerprint found on a five-gallon bottle recovered from Whitman's south Denver home.

An arrest affidavit says the burglar absconded with a .38-caliber Smith & Wesson, two electric guitars, a Nintendo game set, a Dell laptop computer and a Blackberry cell phone.

The affidavit said police suspected Lewis moved to Iowa where his mother had relocated. Lewis has a Colorado arrest record for trespassing and domestic violence.

Man declared no longer dangerous

A man who set fire to a B-52 bomber in 1998 was released from court supervision Friday after psychiatric testimony that treatment has rendered him no longer dangerous.

Colorado U.S. District Judge Richard Matsch had found Page Penk, then in his mid-30s, not guilty of first-degree arson by reason of insanity in 1999.

Penk poured gasoline on the Korean War-era plane at the former Lowry Air Force Base and ignited it, causing an estimated $300,000 damage.

Penk believed that an evil entity had taken over the U.S. armed forces and was threatening him personally, according to a psychiatrist who examined him.

Gift of $1.3 million will fund children's garden

A new children's garden is being planned by the Denver Botanic Gardens, thanks to a $1.3 million gift from a generous donor.

"We're just happy and so proud to have the opportunity to expand our services to the community," said Robin Doerr, director of marketing for the Denver Botanic Gardens.

The gift from the Janet and Daniel Mordecai Foundation, the largest donation to the Denver Botanic Gardens in 12 years, was earmarked specifically for a children's garden.

COMMERCE CITY

Woman dies in truck accident on I-270

A deadly truck accident on Interstate 270 snarled rush-hour traffic Friday.

Witnesses told Commerce City police that the driver, a 42-year-old woman, was heading eastbound on I-270 in a Ford truck about 4:40 p.m. and started swerving, Detective Michael Saunders said.

The truck then crashed into a guardrail near Brighton Road, and the motorist was hurled from the vehicle, the detective said. The victim, whose name has not been released, was dead at the scene.

LARIMER COUNTY

Mail scatters across I-25 in fatal collision

Two semi-trucks crashed early Friday morning, killing one driver and scattering mail across parts of Interstate 25.

The driver of the mail-truck lost control and it rolled on its side at mile marker 276 near Fort Collins shortly after 2 a.m., said Sgt. Jeff Goodwin of the Colorado State Patrol. A truck driver hauling chocolate candy crashed into the other truck and caused mail to spill onto the highway.

The 62-year-old driver of the truck carrying candy died. The victim, whose name was not released, is from Alberta, Canada. The 31-year-old driver of the mail truck suffered minor injures and was taken to Poudre Valley Hospital in Fort Collins.

ARIZONA

Airplane crash kills Crested Butte man

A Crested Butte businessman and community organizer died on New Year's Eve when his rented Cessna clipped a tree, crashed and burned northeast of Payson, Ariz.

Michael Martin, 41, had left the airport in Gunnison headed to Scottsdale to visit his father in the hospital when the crash occurred.

Martin owned the Alpineer, a skiing and outdoor store in Crested Butte, for six or seven years and also operated guest cabins and a mountain bike touring company, said John Wirsing, manager of the store.