JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. — Four men allegedly tied their roommate to a chair, beat him with a baseball bat and lit him on fire over the course of 14 hours inside a Jefferson County home, according to arrest affidavits obtained by Denver7.
The court documents state that Jefferson County Sheriff's Office deputies responded to Saint Anthony's Medical Center (SAMC) around 10 a.m. Monday for a reported kidnapping. A patient reportedly told medical staff that he had been tied up and tortured for over 14 hours. Deputies arrived and spoke with a 45-year-old man, who Denver7 is identifying as John Doe.
John Doe told investigators he was attacked by "Jason," "Sherell" and "Jimmy" at their home in the 4700 block of South Oak Court in Jefferson County. Property records show the home is owned by Jason Edward Carlson, 49.
John Doe said he had been living at the home for a couple of weeks with his sister. Sherell, Jimmy and another person, who Denver7 is not identifying, also lived at the home, according to the victim.
John Doe said he was in his roommate's basement bedroom around 2 a.m. Sunday when he heard three other men in the house talking about beating him up. The victim called his sister and said they needed to get out of the house. He then reportedly tried to crawl out a bedroom window but was unsuccessful.
The victim barricaded himself in the bedroom by placing items in front of the door, but Jason, Sherell and Jimmy broke in "a short time later," according to the affidavits. The court documents state John Doe was shot with rock salt that was fired from an Airsoft-type firearm, assaulted and knocked to the floor.
At some point, one of the men put their boot on John Doe's throat and "applied sufficient pressure to cause him to lose consciousness," according to the affidavits. When the victim regained consciousness, he was bound to a chair with zip ties and electrical tape.
John Doe told authorities he was repeatedly assaulted by Jason, Sherell and Jimmy while he was bound to the chair. At some point, the three men allegedly took turns hitting John Doe's knees with a baseball bat.
The victim said one man hit him on the side of his head with a pry bar while another tried to burn him by pouring rubbing alcohol on his face and lighting the liquid on fire.
After some time, the three men allegedly freed John Doe from the chair and moved him upstairs, where they reportedly continued assaulting him. They then moved the victim back downstairs and re-tied him to the chair, according to the affidavits.
Crime
3 men accused of torturing roommate for 14 hours inside Jefferson County home
According to court documents, the roommate and a woman came home at some point while the alleged assault was happening in the basement. They reportedly told Jason, Sherell and Jimmy to leave John Doe alone and that they would take care of him.
The affidavits state the roommate freed John Doe and took him to another location that the victim could not identify. There, they realized the victim needed medical attention and called a man that John Doe did not know, according to court documents. That man drove the victim to the hospital and dropped him off at the emergency entrance.
Medical staff determined that John Doe suffered from singed eyebrows, burn marks on his face, swollen and discolored knees and broken Thyroid cartilage in his neck. He also had markings on his wrists and ankles that "were consistent with his story of being bound," according to court documents.
Investigators learned that the homeowner, Jason Carleson, had "numerous contacts" with law enforcement. Court documents state Jason was associated with Sherell Cortez Allen, 48, and a 39-year-old man named Jimmy. Records show Sherell and Jimmy were also associated with the home in the 4700 block of South Oak Court, according to the affidavits.
Court documents state investigators administered photo arrays to John Doe, who identified Jason and Sherell as his attackers. He also identified Jimmy as his third attacker from another photo array, according to the affidavits.
In a later interview, John Doe said a fourth person, identified as "Luke," was present during the assault. The victim told authorities that Luke put tape over his mouth and hit him with a baseball bat. He said Luke was standing "a distance away" and pointed a handgun at his face, according to the affidavits.
During an interview with investigators, John Doe's sister said she saw Luke standing in the doorway to the bedroom where the victim was. She told investigators the lighting was "dim" in the basement bedrooms. Luke then walked her to a friend's home "not too far away," court documents state.
Authorities on Monday executed a search warrant at the home in the 4700 block of South Oak Court and located Luke Leonard Anaya, 41. He was taken to the sheriff's office headquarters for an interview. After he was read his Miranda Rights, Luke told investigators he did not want to speak with them, according to his arrest affidavit. He was taken to the Jefferson County Detention Facility for unrelated warrants.
John Doe was shown another photo lineup on Tuesday and identified Luke as his fourth attacker, according to the affidavit. During an interview with authorities, Sherell said Luke came upstairs from where John Doe was at one point and "said he couldn't take the screaming and crying any longer," the court documents state.
Jason, Sherell and Luke were each arrested Monday for several charges, including attempted first-degree murder, first-degree assault, second-degree assault and second-degree kidnapping. They are being held on cash-only bonds ranging from $150,000 to $300,000.
Investigators are working to locate "a fourth suspect," who the sheriff's office did not identify. A spokesperson said the department could not confirm if the fourth suspect is Jimmy.
A motive for the alleged attack was not disclosed in the court documents. Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the sheriff's office at 303-271-0211.
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