Douglas County children dead: Nothing seemed unusual, until police arrived
Carrie Porter
Published August 21, 2008 at 12:05 a.m.
Death sneaked up on a neat row of well-tended houses on Bramblewood Drive in Castle Pines North, disrupting the calm of a late-summer afternoon.
Police found two children dead in a parked car outside the home of Ken and Pam VanHerpen, after responding to a report that the 5-year-old girl and 2-year-old boy were missing. The cause of death is unknown.
The two children moved into their grandparents' home along with their mother about eight months ago, neighbors said.
"This is not something you would expect on a Wednesday afternoon here," said Dona Aldrich, who has lived across the street from the VanHerpens for seven years.
Standing barefoot on her front step, Aldrich glanced across the street and said that nothing seemed unusual until the police arrived.
Most Bramblewood residents are older and retired, said Audrey Pauletich, who moved into her home in 2002. "There are not a lot of children around, and they are usually just visiting their grandparents," she said.
Clutching her mail in one hand, Pauletich said Bramblewood is a quiet neighborhood with planned community activities.
Neighbor Judie Marcus participates in a dinner group with the VanHerpens every month.
"We moved in about the same time, and they are very good neighbors," Marcus said.
porterc@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-5625
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