2 suspects charged in rock-throwing death face new charges for throwing statue head at vehicle
Two of the three suspects accused in the rock-throwing death of Alexa Bartell are facing more charges in a different case, this time involving a statue head. Joseph Koenig and Nicholas "Mitch" Karol-Chik have been accused of throwing a statue head at an occupied/moving vehicle on April 1 in Arvada, weeks before the deadly incident involving a rock thrown through the windshield.
According to the 1st Judicial District Attorney's Office, Koenig and Karol-Chik are the only ones facing the new charges. The third suspect in the rock-throwing death and other rock-throwing incidents, Zachary Kwak, was not involved.
The victim in the April 1 case told CBS News Colorado that the vehicle was struck on the front left corner by a Zeus statue head measuring roughly 2 ½ feet wide by 14 inches long. The car was struck near 82nd and Alkire and those in the car included the driver, who is an adult male, his wife and 13-year-old child.
He told CBS News Colorado's Karen Morfitt that it was a "frightening experience." He tried to follow the suspects who threw the statue head but he couldn't catch up.
Koenig and Karol-Chik are facing additional charges of criminal attempt to commit murder in the first degree an criminal attempt to commit assault in the second degree.
At a previous hearing, the judge set their bonds at $2 million each. All three remain in custody.
Koenig, Karol-Chik and Kwak are each facing 13 charges in connection with rock-throwing attacks that killed 20-year-old Alexa Bartell and injured others. All of the suspects were 18 years old at the time they were arrested and all high school seniors.
In addition to the first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder charges, they are also facing multiple counts of assault and attempted assault in the other attacks.
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Bartell, of Arvada, was killed late at night on April 19 when a rock crashed through her windshield as she was driving on the 10600 block of Indiana Street close to the Jefferson County and Boulder County lines. Her vehicle left the roadway and ended up in a field. She was on the phone talking to a friend when she was struck and the phone went silent.
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Two other people were also hurt in earlier rock attacks that night. Seven vehicles in total were hit by what authorities now describe as "large landscaping rocks." It's believed the suspects were in a moving vehicle when the rocks were thrown.
The three suspects are scheduled to appear in court for a preliminary hearing on Sept. 8.
