Wheat Ridge Police Department

Recognizing hard, important police work 🕵️‍♀️🕵️‍♂️

This morning at the Wheat Ridge Optimist Club, Detective Finken and Investigations Technician Sankar were presented the Optimist Community Service Award for their work on financial crimes and fraud cases.

These two have been going into the community to educate our most vulnerable citizens about common scams and tactics used to try and get your hard-earned money. Remember, criminals will try to prey on your emotions and have you act with urgency. We see fear tactics from, “Your son is in jail in Mexico and needs cash,” to “You have a warrant out for your arrest and we need a Cashapp payment or wire transfer to clear it.”

With the prevalence of AI, these scammers are getting better at trying to replicate a loved one’s voice or even generating videos of celebrities to trick people into giving money.

Have a conversation with your vulnerable loved ones and neighbors about red flags. Even tell them to call you if they think they’re being scammed.

We get hundreds of cases every year as these scammers get more sophisticated. Prevention is one of our best tools, so the work these two are doing is vital! Congratulations to you both 👏 👏 👏

GREAT NEWS: Colorado Department of Transportation was able to wrap up construction of the I-70 WB bridge over Kipling St. early. They opened the road around 1 a.m. this morning.

We appreciate everyone’s patience this weekend during the closure. Please plan ahead for this coming weekend when the I-70 EB bridge will be shut down.

Drive safe Wheat Ridge!

We're not going to sugarcoat it: traffic is going to be terrible.

If you're going up to the mountains this weekend, find a different route than I-70 and Kipling St. We are expecting congestion along W 44th Ave. from Wadsworth Blvd. to Youngfield St. while construction of the WB bridge is underway.

The WB lane of I-70 over Kipling St. will be shut down until 6 a.m. on Tuesday, September 22.

Please drive safe and be respectful of our community if you are passing through 🙏

First closure of its kind in 5 years: Wheat Ridge police adjust for I-70 shutdown at Kipling I-70 will be shut down for bridge repairs, forcing detours as police adapt patrols.

UPDATE: The road opened back up around midnight. This remains an ongoing investigation.

CRASH INVESTIGATION: The WRPD Crash and Traffic Team (CATT) is investigating a fatal crash on W 44th Ave. and Eldridge St. between a semi and a pickup truck.

The call came in around 6:55 p.m. The driver of the pickup was pronounced deceased after transport to the hospital. The driver of the semi is okay.

Our preliminary investigation indicates the pickup driver swerved into the opposite lane of traffic. DUI may be a factor, as open containers were found in the pickup.

We have parts of this area shutdown as CATT investigates. Please avoid the area.

Work on the I-70 westbound bridge over Kipling St. begins tonight at 7 p.m. We anticipate this will have a major traffic impact on our community in the area and along W 44th Ave.

We are asking drivers to avoid this area if possible and plan ahead over the next four days. Thank you for your patience and drive safe Wheat Ridge!

A closure of Interstate 70 is planned this weekend on the west side of the Denver metro area: https://www.9news.com/article/traffic/i-70-closure-happening-this-weekend-in-west-denver-metro/73-b755f211-2b06-46b9-b9fd-04a7b3470a7d?utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook_9NEWS_(KUSA)

REMINDER: Crews will begin critical bridge repairs on westbound I-70 at Kipling St. TOMORROW night at 7 p.m. that will last through the weekend and is expected to wrap up Tuesday morning.

Please see detailed information on the closure and traffic impacts from our partners at Colorado Department of Transportation 👇

Crews will complete critical bridge repairs on the westbound I-70 bridge over Kipling Street in Wheat Ridge starting tomorrow. During the closure, motorists can expect the following impacts:

🔸Westbound I-70 traffic will be diverted through the Kipling Street interchange using the off- and on-ramps before returning to I-70
🔸No entrance/exit on I-70 at Kipling Street
🔸Kipling Street will be closed to northbound and southbound traffic at the I-70 interchange
🔸Wadsworth Boulevard northbound and southbound on-ramps to I-70 westbound will also be closed

🚩Detours:
- Westbound I-70 traffic: Use the Kipling Street off-ramp and on-ramp to continue westbound on I-70.
- Northbound and southbound Kipling Street traffic: Follow the posted detour using W. 44th Avenue, Ward Road, W. 58th Avenue/Ralston Road and Wadsworth Boulevard. Traffic traveling to I-70 from Wadsworth Boulevard: Detour via W. 44th Avenue to Ward Road

🚧Traffic Impacts: Major delays of 30 minutes or longer are expected. Plan ahead and allow extra travel time or use an alternate route whenever possible.

ℹ️ Stay informed: For real-time project updates, text I70REPAIRS to 21000
🌐 More Information: https://www.codot.gov/projects/i70kiplinggarrisonbridge
📱 Project phone: 720-845-6267
📩 Project email: [email protected]

DO YOU RECOGNIZE THIS SUSPECT?

Wheat Ridge Police Department needs your assistance in identifying the suspect pictured above who is wanted for ID theft. The pictured male is the suspect in a vehicle trespass overnight on 07/18/26-07/19/26 near 35th Ave. and Benton St. The suspect used the victim’s credit card on 07/19/26 to purchase Visa gift cards and other items at multiple stores along W Colfax (Walmart, Home Depot, Smokers Lane, Lowe’s, 7-Eleven). No vehicle was seen associated with the male. The suspect is a WM, in his 20’s, with blonde hair. He was wearing all black clothing and carrying a black backpack.

Anyone with information is encouraged to call our partners at Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at (720) 913-7867. You can leave an anonymous tip and earn up to $2,000 for information that develops a lead for an arrest.

Thank you for sharing 🙏

TRAVEL ALERT | WESTBOUND I-70 CLOSURE AT KIPLING STREET Sept. 18-22 ⚠️

The full closure of westbound I-70 at Kipling Street and detour routes will be in effect from:

● 7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 18, to 6 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 22

Crews will complete critical bridge repairs on the westbound I-70 bridge over Kipling Street.

During the closure, motorists can expect the following impacts:

● Westbound I-70 traffic will be diverted through the Kipling Street interchange using the off- and on-ramps before returning to I-70.

● Motorists will not be able to enter or exit I-70 at Kipling Street.

● Kipling Street will be closed to northbound and southbound traffic at the I-70 interchange.

● The Wadsworth Boulevard northbound and southbound on-ramps to I-70 westbound will be closed.

● Detour routes will be in effect:

○ Westbound I-70 traffic: Use the Kipling Street off-ramp and on-ramp to continue westbound on I-70.

○ Northbound and southbound Kipling Street traffic: Follow the posted detour using W. 44th Avenue, Ward Road, W. 58th Avenue/Ralston Road and Wadsworth Boulevard.

○ Traffic traveling to I-70 from Wadsworth Boulevard: Detour via West 44th Avenue to Ward Road

Major delays of 30 minutes or longer are expected. Motorists should plan ahead, allow extra travel time, or use an alternate route whenever possible.

Other upcoming closures:

● Eastbound I-70 at Kipling Street: Sept. 25 at 7 p.m. to Sept. 29 at 6 a.m.

● The Ward Road on-ramp to eastbound I-70 will be closed

● Tentative date, if needed for eastbound I-70 at Kipling Street: Oct. 2 at 7 p.m. to Oct. 6 at 6 a.m.

Stay informed! For real-time project updates, text I70REPAIRS to 21000. Advance notice and project updates will be communicated to the public ahead of upcoming activities.

🌐 More information: https://www.codot.gov/projects/i70kiplinggarrisonbridge

📱 Project phone: 720-845-6267

📩 Project email: [email protected]

MISSING PERSON FOUND! Thank you to everyone who shared our post. The individual was found earlier this morning. We are retracting the information for that person’s privacy.