Alexa Bartell (Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office) and an image of the scene where her car went off the road and through a fence (via 9News screengrab)
A 20-year-old woman was killed in Jefferson County, Colorado, after a large rock was thrown through her windshield as she talked on the phone with a friend.
Alexa Bartell, an Arvada resident, was driving around 10:45 p.m. on Wednesday in her Chevy Spark on Indiana St. when the perpetrators, “possibly from a vehicle or the side of the road, threw a large rock at the victim’s vehicle, which struck and killed her,” according to the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office.
“In the moments before she was killed, Alexa was on her phone talking to a friend when the phone went silent,” the sheriff’s office said. “Alexa’s friend tracked her phone and drove to the location on Indiana St. She found Alexa fatally wounded inside her car, which was off the roadway in a field.”
Investigators developed a timeline and said that the homicide case appeared to relate to a rock-throwing spree that may involve “a light-colored pickup truck or SUV”:
10:04 p.m. – Westminster – 100th Ave. & Simms St. – rock through windshield – driver not injured
10:36 p.m. – Boulder County – McCaslin Blvd & S. Indiana St. (entrance to Rock Creek neighborhood) rock through windshield – minor injuries to driver
10:37 p.m. – Boulder County – McCaslin Blvd & S. Indiana St. (entrance to Rock Creek neighborhood) – rock vs.Toyota 4-Runner – body damage to vehicle, driver not injured
10:45 p.m. – Jefferson County – 10600 block of Indiana St. – rock through windshield of yellow Chevy Spark – homicide
April 20 at 12:24 a.m. – Arvada – Hwy 93 at Hwy 72 – rock through windshield – minor injuries to driver
A spokesperson for the sheriff’s office described the “deadly weapon” used in the attack as being like large “landscaping rocks,” 9News reported. The rocks have also been described as larger than softballs.
On April 20, the sheriff’s office said that a potential “truck of interest” and its owner were confirmed to “NOT” be involved in the “crime series related to the death of Alexa Bartell.”
“No suspects have been identified as of this evening,” authorities posted at 10:05 p.m. on Thursday.
Senseless rock-throwing incidents have had deadly consequences in recent years across the country. At least two of those cases involved a group of teens throwing rocks and killing passengers.
In 2017, Michigan teens were charged with murder after a rock dropped from an overpass onto I-75 below and killed Kenneth White, the 32-year-old passenger in a van on the way home from work. The five teens sparked even more outrage by driving to McDonald’s for food after the killing. Four of the teens pleaded guilty to manslaughter and the one who threw the rock pleaded guilty to murder.
Also in 2017 and involving the same interstate — but this time in Ohio — four more teens were accused of murdering 22-year-old Marquise Byrd, the passenger of a vehicle who was killed by a sandbag dropped from an overpass. Three of the teens pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter, while the one who threw the sandbag pleaded guilty to murder.
In 2019, 33-year-old Keila Ruby Flores was killed by a rock thrown from an overpass on I-35 as her boyfriend drove the Texas mother and her three kids. In 2020, the Temple Police Department in Texas asked for the public’s help in solving the case. There appears to have been no update in case since. Law&Crime reached out to the police department to inquire about the status of the case.
A high school classmate told KDVR that Alexa Bartell had a longtime girlfriend and that they “seemed so in love.”
“She really left a mark on a lot of people, and I hope that inspires people moving forward to be more like she was,” Emily Audette told the Fox local affiliate.
“She was always super nice, super sweet, high energy. Always smiling. I mean, I used to see her every day at school, and I don’t ever remember seeing her sad or being negative about anything,” she added. “She just uplifted people all the time.”
As of Friday afternoon, the sheriff’s office is “looking for people to come forward” and encouraging witnesses with information that can help solve the case to call the tip line at 303-271-5612.
9News’ report has more from the crash scene:
Have a tip we should know? [email protected]
