The suspect in last weekend’s series of 16th Street Mall stabbings that killed two people and sent another two to the hospital had a warrant out for his arrest after failing to appear in court less than a month prior, according to court records.
Elijah Caudill, 24, is being held in Denver City Jail on suspicion of four felonies: two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of attempted first-degree murder, county records show.
On Dec. 20, just three weeks before the 16th Street Mall stabbings, Caudill failed to appear in court for a review hearing in an unrelated criminal mischief case. Caudill had recently posted bond in the case on Nov. 11, court records show.
Criminal mischief is a misdemeanor charge involving the intentional destruction of someone else’s property, according to the Denver District Attorney’s Office.
When Caudill didn’t show up, the judge issued a bench warrant for his arrest, court records show. The 24-year-old wasn’t caught until after four people were stabbed along Denver’s pedestrian mall on Saturday and Sunday.
Police believe Caudill carried out all four attacks and said the victims appear to be strangers to the 24-year-old. The motive for the attacks remains under investigation.
One of the victims killed was Celinda Levno, a 71-year-old, Phoenix-based American Airlines flight attendant who was in town for a layover, her union said. The second victim was identified by the city’s medical examiner as 34-year-old Nicholas Burkett.
Two other men were injured in the attacks, Denver police officials said.
Three stabbings, including one fatal attack, happened between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. Saturday, police said.
Investigators realized one person was carrying out the attacks after the third Saturday stabbing but were unable to find Caudill until late Sunday, when officers spotted him running with a large knife after allegedly attacking the fourth victim around 8 p.m.
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