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Colorado woman killed when rock is thrown through her windshield, one of at least five random attacks

April 21, 2023 | | Print Article

A Colorado woman named Alexa Bartell, 20, was talking with a friend on her phone when someone threw a large landscaping rock through her windshield while she was driving, killing her in what was one of at least five attacks late Wednesday night.

(Video Credit: FOX31 Denver)

Bartell was the latest victim during a series of what appeared to be random attacks that took place involving cars across Jefferson County, Colorado, according to the sheriff’s office. The rocks were reportedly larger than softballs and ranged from three to five pounds.

“These are not games. These are people’s lives, and what happened last night should never have happened,” Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO) Public Information Officer Jacki Kelley told FOX21 Colorado Springs in a statement. “We don’t know who these suspects are, why they’re trying to do this, but they killed somebody last night, and we want to know who they are.”

During the time period of the attacks, two of the drivers were injured, two were unhurt, and Bartell was killed around 10:45 pm on the 10600 block of Indiana Street, JCSO said in a press release.

The suspect or suspects were thought to be driving a light-colored truck or SUV. Police located that vehicle just before 10 pm Thursday and announced that they “positively confirmed” that the truck and its owner “are not involved in the crime series related to the death of Alexa Bartell,” according to FOX21 Colorado Springs.

While talking with her friend as she drove, Bartell’s phone went silent. The friend got worried and went looking for her, tracking Bartell’s location through her phone. She found the victim’s car in a field where it had driven off the road and through a small wire fence. Her friend’s body was still inside it.

“Her friend was worried, so her friend used an app to track her phone, drove to the location where it looked like Alexa’s phone was just sitting … still,” Kelley told the outlet. “She discovered that Alexa’s car had gone off the road on Indiana into a field. And then she discovered her body inside.”

Bartell’s high school friend, Emily Audette, told FOX31 Denver in an interview that the victim “really left a mark on people.”

“It just doesn’t feel real,” Audette commented. “She was always just someone you could go to about anything, someone you could always talk to. She was just friends with everybody and made everybody laugh.”

“I’ve never met a better person,” said a family friend according to CBS News. “It is heartbreaking to know her incredible light has gone out way too soon.”

Eric Peterson, who runs the company where Alexa’s mother works, showed up at the scene where Alexa was killed to leave flowers in her memory.

“She was the daughter of one of my senior accountants at my company. Loved basketball, loved life. Was always a happy and a smiling face,” he sadly remarked. “Devastating.”

“We are still looking for people to come forward and let us know if they were a victim of a crime and also if they may have seen something that they didn’t report prior,” Kelley stated.

“We are working with Boulder County Sheriff’s Office, Arvada Police, and Westminster Police to gather information,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement. “We believe there may be more victims.”

No arrests have yet been made.

 

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