Sandy MaloneGallup, NM – Authorities captured a murder suspect known as “Psycho” on Thursday after an intense, two-state manhunt that was launched when three bodies were found in Conejos County, Colorado.
Monte Vista Police Chief George Dingfelder said at a press conference on Wednesday that the Conejos County Sheriff’s Office had executed a search warrant in a rural area near the town of Las Sauces in the San Luis Valley on Nov. 10, KOAA reported.
The search warrant was related to stolen vehicles and equipment but what the sheriff’s deputies found were human remains, according to Chief Dingfelder.
Conejos County Sheriff Garth Crowther created a task force on Nov. 13 to help with the investigation because his department wasn’t big enough to handle “what we were running into,” KOAA reported.
The Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Alamosa Police Department, Saguache County Sheriff’s Office, Monte Vista Police Department, and Colorado State Patrol are assisting Conejos County with the investigation.
The bodies found on Nov. 10 were only the beginning of the nightmare, KOAA reported.
Based on evidence they found at the first location, authorities investigated a second property nearby and found human remains there, too.
The property owners were not living on the properties at the time, KOAA reported.
Officials have said they do not know how long the bodies were there.
A forensic pathologist determined the remains found belonged to at least three people, KOAA reported.
Chief Dingfelder said investigators have not yet connected the human remains to any missing person’s cases and said to do so this early in the investigation would be irresponsible and just speculation.
The chief said it could take weeks or months to identify the victims because of the condition of their bodies, KOAA reported.
Alamosa Police Chief Ken Anderson announced that the police department had “clearly identified” 26-year-old Adre “Psycho” Jordan Baroz of Sanford as the suspect in the murders.
Multiple police agencies investigating after three bodies were found on two properties in remote Canejos Co. in S Colorado. Now want to find suspect, 26-yr-old Adre Jordan Baroz. AKA "Psycho." @AlanGTV reporting live from scene @CBSDenver at 5. pic.twitter.com/t1Zr7O0aMj
— Jim Benemann (@jimbcbs4) November 18, 2020
Chief Anderson warned on Nov. 18 that “Psycho” was on the run and should be considered armed and dangerous, according to KOAA.
The police chief told reporters it was too soon to classify Baroz as a serial killer.
“Our main goal is to get him off the street,” he said. “He’s a danger to the public right now.”
Chief Dingfelder said that the crime scenes were located near the New Mexico border and authorities would have to coordinate the search for missing persons there and in southern Colorado, KOAA reported.
As a result of those efforts, Baroz was arrested at about 3 p.m. on Nov. 19 at a motel in Gallup, KCNC reported.
He was transported to the McKinley County Detention Center where he will await extradition to Colorado.
Baroz will face charges there of first-degree homicide, first-degree assault, and second-degree kidnapping, KCNC reported.
Fellow #Colorado peeps please be on the lookout! This is the suspect in what is at least a triple homicide in #SanLuisValley. Dre "Psycho" Baroz is considered dangerous. Please call 911 if seen, do not approach. #DreBaroz #PsychoBaroz #serialkiller pic.twitter.com/2ZzIHJ9fYA
— 💐👒⚘Salena Moffat⚘👒💐 (@lady_moffat) November 18, 2020
PLEASE SHARE: CBI and other Southern Colorado agencies are looking for this man in connection to the remains of three people found in Conejos County. He goes by "Psycho" and is considered extremely dangerous. @KKTV11News pic.twitter.com/VTM8NXC2ij
— Ashley Franco (@AshleyKKTV) November 18, 2020
Court documents showed that Baroz has spent time in prison for drug and assault charges, KOAA reported.
He served time with the Colorado Department of Corrections from March of 2016 until November of 2018, and then was on parole until June 23 this year, the Colorado Sun reported.
Holly Matkin
