UPDATE: Sabrina, Demarcus, and Marcus were located around 11:20 p.m. on 10/22/2020 in California. They are all safe and there are no indications at this time that that they were brought there against their will.
We want to thank everyone who helped us get the word out about this incident.
Agent Faith Goodrich
Public Information Officer
Aurora Police Department
720.432.5095
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Information previously released on October 22, 2020
On Wednesday October 21, 2020 at about 2 p.m. Aurora Police officers responded to an address near East Hampden Avenue and South Tower Road to check on the welfare of Sabrina Walls and her two children, Demarcus Thomas (3 years old) and Marcus Thomas (5 years old).
After talking to multiple different people and going to multiple addresses, officers learned that Sabrina, Demarcus, and Marcus were last seen on Monday, October 19, 2020 and no one has heard from them since that time. Sabrina has a 2006 Ford Fusion with Colorado License Plate CES-661. That car was seen on Tuesday, October 20, 2020 near East Mississippi Avenue and South Blackhawk Street but it is unknown if Sabrina and her sons were inside the car at that time.
Multiple investigative units have been working on this case since the initial call. As investigative leads are pursued, and more information is developed, the concern for the Sabrina, Demarcus, and Marcus has grown. Sabrina has never been out of contact for this long, it is out of character for her. Sabrina is a survivor of domestic violence and her family is worried about her.
We made multiple posts to different social media websites such as Twitter, Facebook, and Nextdoor to try and locate Sabrina, Demarcus, and Marcus.
As the investigation progressed over the last 24 hours, investigators gathered information that met the criteria for an Amber Alert. As soon as that information was known, we partnered with the Colorado Bureau of Investigation to issue that alert. You can learn more about Amber Alerts and the criteria that must be met before one can be issued, HERE.
Additionally, investigators learned that there might be some connection to the Las Vegas area. We are asking anyone along Interstate 70 and Interstate 15 to please keep an eye out for Sabrina, her children, and her vehicle.
Metro Denver Crime Stoppers is offering a reward of up to $2,000 to anyone who has information regarding this case. Please call (720) 913-STOP (7867). Tipsters can remain anonymous.
Thank you to everyone that has assisted in our search to find Sabrina, Demarcus, and Marcus.
  
Agent Faith Goodrich
Public Information Officer
Aurora Police Department
720.432.5095
He never wanted to hurt anybody. He never wanted any of this to happen. But now what does he do? How does he stop this? Is it even him – or are there other forces at play? Just how far is the reach of The Long Arm?
Leave the comfort of your book covers this Halloween as we share haunted
tales right here on your computer screen. Every Thursday at 8 p.m.,
tune into Facebook for new spine-tingling tales!
Do you have a spooky story of your own? We're taking scary, terrifying or spine-tingling submissions! Staff will choose their top five favorite stories to read on Facebook the day before Halloween, and allow Facebook to vote via reaction! The winner will receive a prize from Aurora Public Library. Submissions must be 1,000 words or less, rated PG-13 and under, and must be emailed to [email protected] by Sunday, Oct. 25.
Grab a pencil and paper - it's time to Draw It! 📝 Our staff member Kristin shows how to draw whales!
Show us your whale in the comments and tell us what you'd like to draw next!
National Novel Writing Month: APL Edition!
by Elizabeth
“Sorry, I need extra pie and an hour of silence! For, uh. Writing inspiration.”
As October comes to a thrilling close, we’re getting closer and closer to one of the library’s most celebrated holidays: a time when our patrons come in looking haunted, horror stories are whispered and recorded and candy is consumed at alarming rates. No, not Halloween, though I love October’s spooky spiders and skeletons! No, I’m talking about AFTER Halloween: National Novel Writing Month.
What is This Holiday?
National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo, is one of my favorite times of year. It was founded in 1999 by a group of friends who realized their lives seemed…kind of empty. When they were kids, they’d been wildly creative, but as adults, they went to work, came home and collapsed into sleep. Winter blues and the holidays were just around the corner. What could they do before then that would actually mean something?
Well…write a novel, of course!
The goal? Write 50,000 words in 30 days. That’s as long as “The Great Gatsby”, which my English teacher always claimed was the Best Novel Ever Written. Sounds promising, right? (And kind of exhausting!)
Other novels around 50,000 words long include:
⦁ “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” by Douglas Adams
⦁ “The Giver” by Lois Lowry
⦁ “Speak” by Laurie Halse Anderson
⦁ “Fahrenheit 451” by Ray Bradbury
⦁ “The Notebook” by Nicholas Sparks
⦁ “Fight Club” by Chuck Palahniuk
And more!
Okay, But…a GOOD Novel? (Short Answer: No.)
Most of the time, what you write for NaNoWriMo won’t be fantastic. Writing just under 7 pages a day is a ridiculously fast pace, even for the most experienced writers out there! If you’ve got the Great American Novel bottled up somewhere inside, this might not be the time to write your stunningly perfect masterpiece. Making a perfect story isn’t really the point! This is more about getting creative and adding one more life goal to your bucket list: climb Mount Everest, finally finish watching the Great British Baking Show, learn to juggle, write a novel…
Some books have been published after National Novel Writing Month, though; it isn’t entirely impossible!
From cute romances to wild fantasies and everything in-between, here are some NaNoWriMo novels:
⦁ “Cinder” by Marissa Meyer: cyborg Cinderella falls for the attractive Prince Kai and must save him when the Moon’s residents plan an assassination
⦁ “Water for Elephants” by Sara Gruen: an orphan joins the circus, befriends an elephant and falls for one of its star performers
⦁ “Fangirl” by Rainbow Rowell: a first-year college student balances new life experiences with writing her favorite familiar fanfiction
⦁ “The Night Circus” by Erin Morgenstern: two young rival magicians at a mysterious one-night-only carnival fall in love
⦁ “Not Your Sidekick” by CB Lee: a high school student desperate to improve her college applications gets an internship working for a supervillain
⦁ “The Forest of Hands and Teeth” by Carrie Ryan: a girl in a mysterious fenced community discovers…zombies!
Check out more published NaNoWriMo novels here.
Some of these books are deliciously weird. Some are familiar and comforting. Some NaNoWriMo books get published; others (like mine) sit on a computer’s hard drive in a folder marked “Never Look at This Again.” Still, I’d say even those novels that never go anywhere are worth it. (Mine all were.)
Why Even “Failed” Stories are Worth It
My first National Novel Writing Month adventure was in high school, my junior year. Suddenly, my friends and I needed to get ready for the Real World. That meant applying for colleges, taking the PSAT, and staying up half the night with homework. It also meant no more time for hanging out. Every conversation with family members revolved around My Plans and Being Productive: had I aced this test, taken that class, filled out enough applications, figured out what I wanted to do with the rest of my life?
I missed my friends, so I started a campaign those last two weeks of October: who wanted to write a novel with me? It didn’t have to be good. It didn’t even have to be the full 50,000 words long. Who wanted to meet on Saturdays and write silly stories while we ate too much popcorn and candy? We could say we were writing novels for college and spend some time together.
They agreed.
Honestly? Almost none of us finished! The stories were terrible: teenagers storming Neverland, intergalactic emperors fighting space blobs, vampires quoting Hamlet word-for-word and swooning all over the place. We made terrible bets, joked about our stories, quit because there was too much homework, finished and danced around Walmart in victory.
I’ve tried NaNoWriMo 9 times since, and I’ve only “won” twice. Most of the time, I don’t come anywhere close to 50,000 words, but I still have a great time.
Save Your Thanksgiving (and Your Sanity)
So why should you try NaNoWriMo?
⦁ Want to finally finish something big?
⦁ Longing for something to brag about over those family holiday Zoom calls?
⦁ Wish you were as creative as when you were a kid?
⦁ Already watched everything good on Netflix?
⦁ Need to stay off of Twitter and stop obsessively checking the news?
Join the Aurora Public Library for National Novel Writing Month! We’ll have writing prompts, encouraging words, write-a-longs and virtual help all November for your virtual noveling needs. Whether you want to write about vampires, zombies or cyborg Cinderella, there’s a place for you here. We can’t wait to see you!
HELLO stands for Hand-on Early Literacy for Little Ones. In this program
children will sing songs, work on fine and gross motor skills, learn
about letters, numbers and science and develop early literacy skills.
Ages 0-6.
City manager and police chief lay out five-point plan to guide change and reform
(October 20, 2020)– Aurora City Manager Jim Twombly and Chief of Police Vanessa Wilson on Monday presented to City Council their plan of action for restoring trust in the Aurora Police Department, titled “A New Way.”
The plan has five points that specifically address reforms and changes to organization, policies and practices, both in response to recent high-profile incidents that have raised community concern, and to implement the priorities of Chief Wilson, who was named chief in August. The points are: A New Way of Operating, A New Way of Leadership, A New Way of Service, A New Level of Accountability, and A New Way of Engagement.
“We are committed to not only a more diverse police department that is reflective of the people of Aurora, but also a more racially equitable, bias-free and culturally competent agency that is responsive to the residents we serve,” Chief Wilson said. “I have heard the concerns of the community and have already made a number of decisive steps to change the way we operate. Restoring the trust of the community is rightfully the No. 1 priority for me and the Aurora Police Department, and I am confident in the support of our dedicated officers in moving these initiatives forward.”
There remain several ongoing internal and external reviews and investigations into the operations of the Aurora Police Department, including a city-commissioned comprehensive independent review of the department by 21CP Solutions, a global firm of national experts in the areas of civil rights and public safety. Every aspect of this review will inform and influence changes that are made in the Aurora Police Department and be incorporated as part of “A New Way.”
“A New Way builds on the direction and foundation set by the Mayor and City Council and the Public Safety, Courts and Civil Service Policy Committee, and we thank them for their leadership and attention to this crucial role the city plays in serving Aurorans,” City Manager Twombly said. “We recognize there have been problems in the past, areas that will need to change, and the paramount importance of the work ahead of us. The continued pursuit of a safe community for all requires the cooperative and engaged involvement of residents, and we must work tirelessly to ensure a thoughtful approach from our many professional officers, and from our community.”
Elements of the “A New Way” plan remain under development and will continue to evolve, but some of the key components include:
A New Way of Operating
Comprehensive, external review of the Aurora Police Department by national experts in the areas of civil rights and public safety is underway, which will inform and influence changes in the department, such as practices regarding use of force, and recruiting, hiring and retention
A New Way of Leadership
Commitment to community-focused and community-oriented policing.
Refocused department mission and vision.
More diverse leadership team.
Civilian (non-sworn officer) additions to the chief’s leadership circle.
A New Way of Service
Training will include voices of the community, with panels of residents sharing their fears and hopes and past interactions with police.
Implicit and unconscious bias and cultural competency training.
Incident reviews to reinforce good policing and address areas for change.
A New Level of Accountability
Expanded roles for Force Review Board and Independent Review Board.
Community voices on Chief’s Review Board and key vendor contracts.
Learning from and adopting recommendations of ongoing reviews.
Increased transparency in Internal Affairs reports and body worn camera videos.
A New Way of Engagement
Community Police Task Force review of potential oversight on critical incidents.
Changes to Civil Service role in hiring and discipline in pursuit of a department that better mirrors the demographics of our diverse city.
Increased mentoring opportunities with community leaders.
Further information about “A New Way” is available at AuroraGov.org/ANewWay, including an opportunity for residents to provide feedback on the plan. Because the plan will continue to evolve as the results of different reviews and investigations come in, the plan details will be updated on the site to allow the community to see the progress of different plan elements and additions.
City of Aurora Communications Department & Aurora Police Media Relations Unit
720.432.5095
Family Book Club
"Song For a Whale" by Lynne Kelly is our Family Book Club pick for October!
Aurora Public Library and Jefferson County Public Library will be hosting a LIVE Book Talk with the author via Zoom on Monday, Oct. 26 at 5 p.m.! Register here and get your hands on a copy (available in hardback and as an audiobook).
Call the Tallyn's Reach Library at 303.627.3050 to put a copy on hold today!
(Jefferson County Public Library patrons, find copies of "Song for a Whale" in print, as a book on CD and as an eAudiobook and eBook via Axis360.)
Chapters 26-38 Questions
· Do you think Iris and her grandma should lie to Iris's mother in order to go to Alaska?
· Have you ever been on a cruise? Where did you go?
· Would you have told Andi that you were coming or surprise her?
· Have you ever seen a whale swimming in the ocean, jumping into the air?
· Do you think the waterproof speak Iris made will work?
Register here to meet the author of "Song for a Whale", Lynne Kelly, on Monday, Oct. 26 @ 5pm!
Create It! Halloween Spider Decor
by Karen
Oh what a tangled web we weave! In this video, Karen shares a festive Halloween DIY, perfect to create wall decor or decorate a trick or treat bag!
with Brandon & Elizabeth
Today on Pop Culture Den, Brandon and Elizabeth discuss horror past, present and future. Come join us as we discuss everything from childhood terrors to what makes horror work!
Do you have a favorite horror movie, TV show or book? Tell us in the comments!
Lions, tigers and bears - oh my! That's the old saying, right? People feel more comfortable with creatures of familiarity. that's what people like to say happened to Mr. Morgan...but there's no description. There's no way to describe the damned thing.
Leave the comfort of your book covers this Halloween as we share haunted tales right here on your computer screen. Every Thursday at 8 p.m., tune into Facebook for new spine-tingling tales!
Do you have a spooky story of your own? We're taking scary, terrifying or spine-tingling submissions! Staff will choose their top five favorite stories to read on Facebook the day before Halloween, and allow Facebook to vote via reaction! The winner will receive a prize from Aurora Public Library. Submissions must be 1,000 words or less, rated PG-13 and under, and must be emailed to [email protected] by Sunday, Oct. 25.
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