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Crime and punishment and courage
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Denver City and County Building
As a couple enjoying retirement, Al and Alice Alvarado (not their real names) often go out for a late breakfast at 10:00am. One day in June of last year, they returned from their late morning meal to find their back door open. Tentatively, they looked inside and fortunately the uninvited party or parties had left.
The house was a mess. Drawers had their contents dumped on the floor and cabinets had been rifled. The Alvarado's keep a clean home. Everything has its place so it did not take long to determine what was missing. After a quick check of the bedroom, Alice discovered the contents of her jewelry box were missing. Her parents' gold wedding bands, her sister's pearl ring; heirlooms Alice wanted to pass on to her granddaughters and great-granddaughters were all gone. As were the West High class ring and the diamond rings. One ring in particular was missing. Years ago, Alice and Al met for lunch downtown and then made a trip to the jewelry store where Al purchased a diamond ring for Alice. Al had to work extra hours at his factory job to pay for it.
The Denver Police responded to the Alvarado's call. Officers determined the mode of entry. A window was broken on the back door and someone reached through the broken glass to unlock the door, cutting a hand in the process. The burglar(s) opened the back door and propped the screen door open with a rope, probably to make a quick getaway. An officer found a bloody tee shirt discarded in a corner of the kitchen. The police took the bloody shirt with them to be examined for DNA.
Al and Alice did not file an insurance claim. The jewelry was priceless to Alice, but the insurance company would only pay for replacement cost. Al feared their premium would rise as a result of the claim. Alice did not want replacements as duplicates have no value as heirlooms. They did spend $4,000.00 on security doors and bars on the windows. Al said, "It looks like we're the ones in jail."
In November 2007, the Alvarado's were notified that a DNA match had been found and there was a suspect. Last July, they were notified that charges had been filed against a juvenile (the name will not be printed) and in September, Alice received a subpoena to testify as a witness at the November 4 trial.
Alice has had a heart attack and has had two back surgeries. She would rather not go through the ordeal of testifying. When the Denver District Attorney's office told her the accused might walk if no one testifies, Alice resolved to do it.
On November 4, Alice arrived at Juvenile Court in plenty of time for the 9:00am trial. She sat through other matters that needed the court's attention and around 9:30am, an Assistant District Attorney told her the juvenile would plead guilty and there would be no need for her testimony. She could go home. Home is where she needed to be as the courtroom benches were like church pews designed to keep the congregation awake during boring sermons. She had back pain, but she chose to stay.
Nearly two hours later, Sheriff's deputies escorted the juvenile into the courtroom. They were late due to a logistical transportation problem. The proceedings were short. The juvenile plead guilty, the judge asked if the juvenile understood all the implications of a guilty plea, the defense attorneys asked for clemency and the judge sentenced the juvenile to a commitment to the Department of Human Services. The judge asked Alice if she had anything to say.
You bet she had something to say. She needed assistance to walk to the podium. She did not need the microphone. She looked at the juvenile to her right and, in a booming voice that belied her age and diminutive stature, demanded, "I want my jewelry back! I wanted to pass my jewelry on to my granddaughters and great-granddaughters and you have no right to it!"
That got the judge's attention. The judge asked the juvenile if the juvenile still had the jewelry. The juvenile responded that there is "stuff" stored at the juvenile's mother's house and maybe some of it is there.
The juvenile will be back in court for a restitution hearing in December. The juvenile will be asked to produce any of Alice's jewelry that is among the "stuff" in storage.
There is a small chance Alice will get her jewelry back and keep it in her family. A chance Alice never would have received if she did not have the courage to testify or was unwilling to endure the physical pain of three hours in court. Alice is a hero.
May the rest of her retirement be happy and peaceful.
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