DENVER — Following a series of random stabbing attacks around the 16th Street Mall over the weekend, a local business owner in the area said she is still holding onto hope that planned renovations in the area will help boost safety and bring back customers.
On Saturday, three people were stabbed along the mall, with a fourth stabbing on Sunday near Union Station. Two people died of their injuries — one of the Saturday victims and the Sunday victim, the Denver Police Department (DPD) said. The suspect, identified as 24-year-old Elijah Caudill, was arrested Sunday.
While police have not confirmed either victim's identity, the Association of Professional Flight Attendants reported that Phoenix-based flight attendant Celinda Levno died while on a layover in Denver during a "senseless tragedy" over the weekend. Loved ones created a GoFundMe online fundraiser to help with funeral expenses. A friend also identified the Saturday victim as Levno, however authorities have not yet confirmed this.
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Denver7 visited several businesses in the area of the stabbings on Monday to hear how people are feeling after the violent weekend. While several people declined to go on camera, we did speak with Diana Ayala, owner of Mermaid's Bakery.
She opened her business 16 years ago and said the increase in crime in the area, as well as ongoing construction, has caused serious impacts.
"I believe that people are just afraid to come downtown anymore because of the crime," she said. "... After COVID, we were hoping that we would get through that and then things would just go back and rise and go back to the way that they were previously. But since then, we have found that it's not the case. With the crime that has escalated since then, and all the construction, our walk-in traffic is not back to how it used to be."
Mermaid's Bakery closes at 3 p.m. because she doesn't feel safe staying open any later than that, she said.
"It would be nice to see more police presence over here on the mall, especially early in the morning and later on in the evening, for sure," she added.
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While Denver7 crews were at 16th Street on Monday afternoon, there was one patrol car in the area that did not stay long.
Ayala said she is staying optimistic about the future of downtown and hopes that more can be done to make downtown safer and more appealing to visitors.
"We're all holding onto the hope that the 16th Street Mall renovations will bring in the business that we need," she said.
In 2024, Denver police investigated a shooting near the 16th Street Mall that left three people injured and ended in a juvenile's arrest. A few years ago, a man attacked others in broad daylight with a pipe in the same area. In September, we reported on the City of Denver's plans to update a nearly 20-year-old plan in hopes of reimagining downtown. And a few months later, the Denver City Council approved the Denver Downtown Development Authority's amended plan that outlines how millions of dollars will be spent to revamp the city's downtown over the next decade.
The suspect from this weekend's stabbings briefly appeared in Denver County Court on Monday morning. Denver police and Mayor Mike Johnston plan to speak about the attacks during a press conference Monday evening.
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