A Colorado man faces multiple felony charges after being accused of tampering with water infrastructure that transports water to Front Range cities.
Read more Police shut down Goose concert at Boulder house party ahead of band’s Red Rocks run
The Colorado Attorney General’s Office and the 14th District Attorney’s Office this week charged Fabrizio Lorenzin, 65, with four felonies in connection with sabotage of the Berthoud Pass Watershed Ditch over several years.
The remote ditch system begins at 11,200 feet high on its namesake pass in the mountains and helps funnel water to Northglenn and Golden. The ditch’s water is stored in Guanella Reservoir in Clear Creek County and in Standley Lake in Adams County.
Lorenzin allegedly forced open headgates on the system’s ditches, damaging the infrastructure and diverting millions of dollars’ worth of drinking water from its intended destination downstream. Prosecutors allege that he also stole cameras meant to watch the district’s property.
Read more Colorado State Patrol flight aborts landing in Centennial after being hit by laser beam
“Protecting critical water infrastructure is a core public safety mission,” Attorney General Phil Weiser said in a news release Friday announcing the charges. “This prosecution reflects our commitment to working side by side with federal and local partners to identify threats quickly and ensure those responsible are held accountable.”
The repeated tampering began in 2023 and prompted a multiagency investigation between local, state and federal authorities.
Lorenzin has been arrested, court records show. He faces one count of tampering with a public water system, two counts of felony theft and one count of tampering with physical evidence.
Read more Front Range Passenger Rail puts sales tax on ballot to fund Colorado Connector expansion
This is a developing story and may be updated.
Sign up to get crime news sent straight to your inbox each day.
