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5 arrested in Evans, accused of shooting paintballs at mother with children, houses, 4-year-old girl

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Posted at 7:08 AM, May 28, 2020
and last updated 2020-05-28 09:08:50-04

EVANS, Colo. — Five men were arrested Tuesday evening after a paintball shooting spree, in which — in different incidents — they shot a woman walking with children, multiple houses and a 4-year-old girl.

On Tuesday, officers with the Evans Police Department were dispatched to the area of Prairie View Drive and Cedar Lane in Evans. There, they met with a woman who said she had been walking along Prairie View Drive with several children, and carrying her infant daughter, when a car drove past her. She said the people inside the car yelled at her and she was struck by a paintball, according to police.

As officers continued to talk with the woman and investigate, they received a report of a house being struck by paintballs a few blocks away, along the 2900 block of Hawk Drive.

Officers who responded to the home learned that whoever had shot the paintballs had caused about $500 in damage. While at the scene, a resident called 911 from the 2400 block of Pelican Lane, about a mile away, to report that another home had just been shot up with paintballs, causing about $700 in damage, according to police.

As officers investigated this third incident, they learned of another — a 4-year-old girl had been shot with a paintball around 35th Avenue and 37th Street. Police said they learned people in a car had driven by and shot the child before continuing on.

Later on Tuesday evening, police received a call from a person who said they had witnessed occupants in a car shoot at, but not strike, a pedestrian in Greeley. That witness was able to catch the license plate of the vehicle.

Evans police located the vehicle and conducted a traffic stop. All five people inside the vehicle were arrested on charges of felony menacing, assault, reckless endangerment, criminal mischief and child abuse:

  • Erving Valentine, 18 (driver)
  • Anthony Villalobos, 18
  • Benjamin Beckett, 18
  • Allan Villalobos, 19
  • Christopher Ide, 18

All of the suspects live in Evans.

None of the people struck by paintballs needed medical treatment, police said.

Denver7 is working to gather their mug shots.