Story perspectives

Half of Costilla County Sheriff's Department Indicted for Misconduct

4/1/2026

Summary

Story summary

Half of the Costilla County Sheriff’s Department in Colorado has been indicted on charges, including abuse of a corpse, stemming from mishandled human remains discovered in October 2024.
Former Sheriff Danny Sanchez and ex-deputy Keith Schultz improperly collected the remains, placing a skull in a grocery bag without proper evidence handling.
Undersheriff Cruz Soto and deputies Caleb Sanchez and Roland Riley face charges for using Tasers on a man in a mental health crisis without proper documentation.
All indicted officials are on administrative leave, and a new sheriff will be elected in November 2024.

1 of 1

Story summary

Half of the Costilla County Sheriff’s Department in Colorado has been indicted on charges, including abuse of a corpse, stemming from mishandled human remains discovered in October 2024.
Former Sheriff Danny Sanchez and ex-deputy Keith Schultz improperly collected the remains, placing a skull in a grocery bag without proper evidence handling.
Undersheriff Cruz Soto and deputies Caleb Sanchez and Roland Riley face charges for using Tasers on a man in a mental health crisis without proper documentation.
All indicted officials are on administrative leave, and a new sheriff will be elected in November 2024.