20-year-old Colorado woman killed by rock thrown through windshield
A young Colorado woman was struck and killed by a rock somebody hurled through her windshield as she was driving home through a tony Denver suburb on Wednesday night — which authorities are investigating as part of a disturbing pattern.
Arvada resident Alexa Bartell, 20, was returning from work around 10:45 p.m. when the large rock sailed through her windowshield and hit her.
Bartell had been on the phone with a friend when the line suddenly went silent.
The pal tracked her down using her phone’s location, where she discovered Bartell’s car run off the road in a field with her body inside.
Shocking photos show the shattered windshield and the back window blown out.
The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office determined that Bartell was killed by the rock, which could have been thrown from a passing car.
Authorities are ruling her death a homicide.
Investigators also believe the young woman’s death is one of at least four unsettling rock-throwing incidents that took place in the area Wednesday night.
In each case, stones were thrown through the windows of driving cars, resulting in two minor injuries and damage to all the cars.
There were no other deaths.
“This is a 20-year-old female who was driving home from work and she’s no longer with us because of this senseless act,” Jefferson County sheriff’s representative Jacki Kelley told 9 News.
“This is not fun and games, this is not a prank, this killed a woman last night and we want to know who did this.”
The other cars that were targeted Wednesday night also had their windshields damaged by the rocks.
Two of the incidents also happened just minutes before Bartell was struck and killed.
Police said they have recovered some of the rocks that were thrown and that there are likely more cars that were struck.
“We know that these rocks are 4 to 6 inches, 3 to 5 pounds, so they’re large like landscaping rocks that were essentially used as a deadly weapon in this investigation,” Kelley said.
Bartell’s friends recalled her as a joyful person who could be called at any time, for anything, according to 9 News.
Authorities are asking the public to check their home security or dashboard cameras for anything that may help track down the culprit.
In my neck of the woods the little bastards dropped large rocks from overpasses and try to hit passing cars. Use to be common, not so much any more.
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