Pueblo sheriff sheds light on recovery of infant taken from Pueblo West
Pueblo County Sheriff David Lucero shed light Thursday afternoon on the recovery of a missing and endangered child.
Ashley Ardolino, the mother of 2-month-old Elsy Ardolino, was arrested outside of a Motel 6 in the 12000 block of E. 39th Avenue in Denver at around 10:25 a.m. Thursday immediately after exiting her motel room. The arrest was made by Pueblo County Sheriff's Office Detective Steven Chavez.
Elsy Ardolino was found apparently unharmed in the motel room. She was taken to a hospital for a full medical evaluation and appears to be doing well, Lucero said.
Law enforcement had been looking for Elsy Ardolino since early Wednesday. The child's grandmother reported to deputies that Elsy's parents, Ashley Ardolino and Luis Novelo-Rojas, had come to visit the baby Tuesday night at her residence in Pueblo West. The pair got into an argument with the grandmother and left with Elsy Ardolino.
The grandmother told the PCSO she had been caring for the child since mid-June after Ashley Ardolino allegedly threatened to harm the baby and asked her mother to take care of her.
"Our detectives spent considerable time confirming details and statements about the baby and her parents. We subsequently learned both Ashley and Luis had outstanding warrants for their arrest," Lucero said.
Wednesday morning, both the Colorado Bureau of Investigation and PCSO put out a bulletin declaring Elsy Ardolino a missing and endangered child, followed shortly by a statewide Amber Alert.
Wednesday afternoon, a forest green GMC Yukon XL that the suspects were driving was found abandoned in Aurora. Denver police arrested Novelo-Rojas Wednesday night in an unrelated incident. Denver police were conducting a "proactive patrol" in the area of East Colfax Avenue and North Uinta Street when they spotted a vehicle without license plates, according to Lucero. The officers reportedly attempted a traffic stop, but the driver fled.
Police tracked the vehicle to the 6700 block of Fenton Street in Arvada, where they apprehended the driver, who was identified as Novelo-Rojas, with the help of the Arvada Police Department and Jefferson County Sheriff's Office.
Novelo-Rojas, who was wanted by police on several unrelated warrants, was booked into the Denver County Jail where he and Ardolino are currently being held.
Lucero stated Thursday afternoon that Ardolino was arrested on unrelated warrants, while the custodial matter is being investigated. According to Denver County booking information, Ardolino is being held on three "fugitive hold" cases, with no bond information available.
Novelo-Rojas is being held on a number of misdemeanor charges, two of which do not allow bond.
Lucero stated that temporary custody has been awarded to the child's grandmother while the investigation continues.
The sheriff praised the work of PCSO detectives to find and safely recover the missing child.
"Our detectives did great police work from the get-go, and we are thankful for their tireless efforts. Several detectives traveled to Denver, while others remained here in Pueblo to gather and work leads that were coming in at a rapid pace. They did an outstanding job working with other law enforcement partners in the Denver Metro area to follow up on leads as to the whereabouts of the parents and Elsy."
Lucero thanked numerous law enforcement agencies, including the Denver, Arvada and Aurora police departments, Jefferson County Sheriff's Office, Colorado Bureau of Investigation, FBI, and U.S. Marshals Service for their time and assistance in the matter.
He also thanked the public and the employees of the Denver Motel 6 that paid attention to the Amber Alert, as well as members of the media for sharing information about the missing child.
Questions, comments, or story tips? Contact Justin at jreutterma@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter@jayreutter1. Support local news, subscribe to The Pueblo Chieftain at subscribe.chieftain.com.
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