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A significant portion of a rural sheriff’s department in Colorado, led by Sheriff Danny Sanchez, is facing legal action following a comprehensive investigation into alleged misconduct.
Twelfth Judicial District Attorney Anne Kelly announced the charges against four current members of the Costilla County Sheriff’s Office—and one former deputy—at a March 27 press conference in connection with two separate incidents.
“I cannot and will not ignore violations of the trust that a community should have in their police,” Kelly stated emphatically. “No citizen of the San Luis Valley should have any doubts about the integrity of their police force. This office is not afraid to defend that trust.”
Oxygen attempted to contact Sanchez regarding the accusations but has yet to receive a response.
The charges against Danny Sanchez and former Deputy Keith Schultz are linked to claims of improper handling of human remains, as detailed in a grand jury indictment.
In October 2024, the duo—each facing four counts of misconduct and a single count of corpse abuse—reportedly responded to a call at Wild Horse Mesa. They were informed about human remains, including a skull, teeth, and silver-hued dental work, discovered and photographed by the property owner, as per the indictment. Although they collected the skull, the indictment claims they left behind other remains such as the teeth, which are now missing, along with several other pieces of human remains, clothing, and shoes.
In October of 2024, the men—who were each indicted on four counts of misconduct and one count of abuse of a corpse—allegedly reported to Wild Horse Mesa after receiving a report that human remains, including a skull, human teeth and silver colored dental work, had been discovered on the property and photographed by the property’s owner, according to the indictment. While the officers collected the skull, authorities alleged in the indictment that they left behind the rest of the remains including the teeth, which are now lost, and “at least half dozen items of human remains as well as human clothing and shoes.”
The property owner told investigators, per the indictment, that Sanchez seemed “more interested in looking for arrowheads than investigating the human remains.”
Prosecutors also allege that Schultz waited two months to write a report about the discovery. And when he did, according to the indictment, he noted in the report he’d left the remains in a bag on his desk and went on another call. A coroner’s official later told investigators, per the indictment, that the skull had been delivered in an unlabeled bag like looked like a “used paper grocery bag, not a forensic evidence bag.”
“It had no markings or labelling describing the items, the date or location of collection, the identity of the collector, or the chain of custody related to the evidence, and had no tape or seals to protect the integrity of the evidence,” stated the court documents. “Inside the bag was a skull matching the photos taken on Wild Horse Mesa, but the teeth with dental work were missing and no other remains were contained in the bag.”
The sheriff’s office had allegedly told a person connected to the case that the investigation was closed and they “expended no further efforts or resources regarding these unidentified human remains,” authorities wrote in the indictment.
Prosecutors also referenced a report that concluded “the investigative efforts of the sheriff’s office were far below the standard of care, noting that the loss of the dental evidence was especially egregious” and argued that it was against unusual practice not to call a coroner out to the scene when human remains are found.
The remains were later transferred to the Alamosa County Coroner for secure storage and were submitted for forensic anthropological analysis, authorities said.
Three More Costilla County Sheriff’s Department Officers Face Assault Allegations
In a separate incident, the sheriff’s son Sgt. Caleb Sanchez, Undersheriff Cruz Soto and Deputy Roland Riley were accused of using a Taser in February against a man suffering from what Kelly described as a “mental health crisis.”
The incident began after officers were called to a home and discovered a distraught man “holding a razor-edged hunting arrow to his own neck,” after his wife had left him, according to a separate indictment.
Officers were able to convince the man to drop the arrow and come into the sheriff’s office to speak to them “about possible employment as a jail deputy,” authorities wrote in the documents.
Once at the sheriff’s office, law enforcement officers allegedly insisted the victim—who was not armed—go to the hospital “voluntarily.” However, the victim started walking away and “became agitated” after he noticed the deputies surrounding him. He allegedly told the officers, per the indictment, that he was upset about “being lied to.”
Prosecutors allege that Riley and Caleb Sanchez both fired the Taser, causing the victim’s body to stiffen and fall face first on the asphalt pavement as he screamed out in pain.
Authorities alleged in the indictment that the men used “excessive” force, noting the victim “did not pose an immediate threat to the deputies or others” and was not under arrest, making him free to leave.
The victim allegedly broke a rib during the incident and was never charged by the sheriff’s office, authorities said.
According to Kelly, all five men turned themselves in to authorities and were expected to be released after posting bond.
“The District Attorney’s Office is committed to investigating and prosecuting violations of Colorado law, regardless of who the offender is and what title they hold,” Kelly said in a press release provided to Oxygen. “Our community expects our law enforcement officers to perform their duties with integrity and adherence to the law. Restoring and maintaining public trust must always start with accountability.”
She noted that the district attorney’s office did not have the authority to remove the sheriff from office, adding “These indictments are merely allegations, and these individuals are innocent until proven guilty.”
According to The Associated Press, the allegations impact more than half of the department’s seven employed law enforcement officers.
Oxygen reached out to Schultz’s attorney Peter Comar, but did not receive an immediate reply. It’s unclear whether the others have retained attorneys.