Rural Law Enforcement and Mental Health

A grand jury in rural Costilla County, Colorado, has indicted five of the county’s seven law enforcement officers, including Sheriff Danny Sanchez, on misconduct charges tied to two separate incidents, prosecutors announced Friday, March 27. Sanchez and former Deputy Keith Schultz are accused of mishandling human remains discovered in October 2024, allegedly taking only a skull from a scene and leaving other bones and teeth behind, with the skull later delivered to the coroner’s office in an unlabeled paper bag. Undersheriff Cruz Soto, Sgt. Caleb Sanchez — the sheriff’s son — and Deputy Roland Riley are charged over a February 2026 encounter in which a man in a mental-health crisis says he was "roughed up" and Tasered when he tried to leave as officers insisted he go to a hospital, leaving him with broken ribs. Soto faces counts of failing to intervene and third-degree assault, while Caleb Sanchez and Riley are charged with second- and third-degree assault, and 12th Judicial District Attorney Anne Kelly said she "cannot and will not ignore" violations of public trust in the San Luis Valley. The case underscores how thinly staffed rural departments can be rocked when multiple officers face criminal charges at once and adds fuel to broader scrutiny of how U.S. law enforcement handles evidence and uses force during mental-health calls.