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Victim In Colorado Springs Apartment Fire Identified
Remains Of Second Victm Removed From Gutted Building
POSTED: 4:32 pm MST January 20,
2007
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- A body removed Friday from the burned-out Castle West Apartment complex was identified Saturday as Joe Santooya, 52.Colorado Springs police said that Santoyo was originally from Arizona and his body was recovered from the south end of the complex.The body of the second person known to have died in the fire was removed from the north end of the complex on Saturday. The body was described as that of a Caucasian or Hispanic male in his 30s.
Secondary searches of the apartment complex have begun, however, the progress of the searches have been very slow due to ice and the structure of the apartment building. Investigators aren't sure if there may be more bodies in the gutted building.Police said Friday the two two victims were not the intended targets of the arsonists who started the fire.Police arrested two cousins -- Derrick Johnson and Gene Johnson -- and said they each face a charge of first-degree murder.Police said the early-morning fire may be linked to an argument that Derrick Johnson had with his girlfriend. However, the woman and her child were not the two people killed inside the Castle West Apartment complex, police said.Derrick Johnson, 23, of Fountain, Colo., was taken into custody at 5 p.m. Thursday and Gene Johnson, 36, of Colorado Springs, Colo., was arrested late Tuesday.Police said the suspects came armed with cans of gas early Tuesday morning and climbed on the roof where the suspect's girlfriend was living, poured the gasoline on the roof, set the roof on fire and walked away, 7NEWS reported.The fire quickly engulfed the entire apartment complex as residents slept.Police said they are no longer looking for suspects and no more arrests are anticipated.The owner of the gold Acura sedan that police had been searching for also came forward and was interviewed but is not facing any charges, police said. The driver saw two men walking in the middle of the night with gasoline cans and thought their car was out of gas. The driver felt bad that they were stranded in the cold, so he gave them a ride, according to TV reports.Police said Derrick Johnson had been in jail since Tuesday on suspicion of menacing.
Both Have Criminal Records
Both cousins have criminal records, have been evicted from apartments and have often been unemployed in the past few years, the Colorado Springs Gazette reported.In 2004, Derrick Johnson was arrested after he allegedly choked his then-girlfriend as she was trying to move out. He also allegedly urinated in her suitcase full of clothes and then smashed her car windows, trying to pull her out by her hair as she tried to escape, according to an arrest affidavit obtained by the newspaper.Derrick Johnson is also a registered sex offender with a lengthy criminal record and was on probation for a felony menacing conviction, according to court records. His record in El Paso County dates to 2001, and includes robbery, drug possession, trespassing and burglary charges.The newspaper said they talked to Derrick Johnson's brother and he said police arrested the wrong man because Johnson was at a party with him on the night of the fire.Gene Johnson was arrested in December 2005 on domestic violence charges and ultimately pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault, according to court records obtained by 7NEWS. In July 2005, Johnson was arrested on drug charges and pleaded guilty to felony possession. He served 15 days in jail and was sentenced to three years probation. He was also arrested twice in 2006, both on theft charges, one of which he pleaded guilty to.Police are looking for witnesses and encouraged anyone to call them if they saw two men walking south from the apartment complex, at the time of the fire. If you spotted these men, between 12:30 and 2:30 a.m. Tuesday, you are asked to call Colorado Springs police at 719-444-7000 or the anonymous tip line at 719-634-STOP.Fire Starts Tuesday, Ends Thursday
The fire, which started at about 12:45 a.m. Tuesday, was declared under control at 11:30 a.m. Thursday."The fire response was determined to be the equivalent of a seven-alarm fire based on the equipment involved," police said.The ATF said early estimates put the damage at more than $6 million.An army of ATF agents are helping firefighters comb through the charred ruins looking for more victims and evidence.The fire broke out early Tuesday in the three-story, 135-unit complex, forcing some pajama-clad residents to leap from balconies. Firefighters plucked 62 people from windows.Hospitals said they treated 31 people, including a firefighter who slipped on ice. Residents' injuries included broken bones and sprained ankles from jumping and hypothermia from standing in 8-degree temperatures in their bed clothes.The five firefighters who received minor injuries are now back on duty.Teresa Vieira of the Red Cross said they helped 131 people and had supplied $50,000 in aid. She said the victims were fortunate the Springs of Life Church was next door. An employee opened the building shortly after the fire broke out and tenants rushed in, said Vieira. Most spent the night there.Residents who have nothing left are grieving for the lost lives."My heart goes out to them. May God take care of them. I am glad that the Red Cross is taking care of us. They have helped out a lot," said fire victim Goose Madril.Additional Resources:- If you need help or will like to make a monetary donation, the Red Cross can be reached at 719-632-3563. Donations for the displaced residents can be mailed or dropped off to the Red Cross location at 1040 S. Eighth St. in Colorado Springs, Colo., 80906-1220. To make a donation online, click here. Donations are also being accepted at:
- Springs Rescue Mission
5 W Las Vegas St
Colorado Springs, CO 80903
(719) 632-1822
Goodwill Industries of Colorado Springs
3540 N Academy Blvd
Colorado Springs, CO 80917
(719) 574-9363
Salvation Army
505 S Weber St
Colorado Springs, CO 80903
(719) 473-6161
Previous Stories:
- January 19, 2007: Police: Victims In Apartment Fire Were Not Intended Targets
- January 18, 2007: Second Arrest Made In Deadly Apartment Fire
- January 17, 2007: Suspect Arrested After 2 Burned Bodies Found
- January 16, 2007: Huge Fire Hits Colorado Springs Apartment Complex
Copyright 2007 by TheDenverChannel.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.








