The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office arrested an individual after a homicide investigation began following an extensive search for a missing person, officials said Monday.
Khalya Dawson, 27, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder, aggravated robbery and motor vehicle theft, according to a news release by the sheriff’s office. The incident is believed to be isolated, and there is no ongoing threat to the community.
The Sheriff’s Office received a missing-person call at about 3:40 a.m. when a man didn’t come home from work. A brief investigation led deputies to an area near the intersection of Hodgen and Eastonville roads in the Black Forest region, according to EPCSO spokesman Sgt. Kurt Smith.
Deputies were led to the missing person’s vehicle on Spectrum Loop and later responded to the Falcon area for an air and ground search, according to the release. Using resources from the Colorado State Patrol and EPCSO’s drone unit, deputies found a deceased adult male near the Woodlake Trailhead, Smith said.
Smith would not elaborate on what evidence prompted a homicide investigation, stating that the El Paso County Coroner’s Office will determine the cause and manner of the man’s death.