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Costilla County Sheriff, Undersheriff and Deputies Indicted on Assault, Misconduct and Abuse of Corpse Charges


Description: A grand jury has indicted the Costilla County Sheriff, undersheriff and deputies on charges including assault, official misconduct and abuse of a corpse following an ongoing investigation by the 12th Judicial District Attorney’s Office. Read the Full Statement from the 12th Judicial District...

12th Judicial District Grand Jury Charges Sheriff, Undersheriff and Deputies with Serious Crimes

March 27, 2026

RE:  INDICTMENT OF COSTILLA COUNTY SHERIFF, UNDERSHERIFF AND DEPUTIES

The 12th Judicial District Grand Jury issued indictments on March 26, 2026 charging the Costilla County Sheriff, Undersheriff and deputies with various crimes including second degree assault, abuse of a corpse, official misconduct and failure to intervene.  Sheriff Danny Sanchez and former Deputy Keith Schultz were indicted on five counts each of official misconduct and one count each of abuse of a corpse for their handling of the discovery of unidentified human remains in the Wild Horse Mesa area of Costilla County.  Undersheriff Cruz Soto was indicted on two counts of failing to intervene and one count of third-degree assault for his involvement in an unlawful use of force on a Costilla Citizen suffering a mental health crisis.  Sergeant Caleb Sanchez, Sheriff Danny Sanchez’s son, was also indicted on counts of assault in the second and third degree for his use of force in that incident. 

These indictments follow an extensive investigation conducted by investigators with the 12th Judicial District Attorney’s Office.  The District Attorney’s Office’s investigation is ongoing in response to reports of misconduct by the Sheriff’s Office from Costilla County residents.  District Attorney Anne Kelly was assisted by Assistant Attorney General Christian Champaign in obtaining the indictments.   

“The District Attorney’s Office is committed to investigating and prosecuting violations of Colorado law, regardless of who the offender is and what title they hold.   Our community expects our law enforcement officers to perform their duties with integrity and adherence to the law.  Restoring and maintaining public trust must always start with accountability.”

The indictments can be found on the cases of interest page on the Colorado Judicial Branch website.    

The charges in the indictments are just allegations.  All defendants are presumed innocent unless or until proven guilty.