The indictments accused the sheriff and four deputies or former deputies in two separate incidents, then triggered a resignation, staffing losses and an emergency leadership change.
SAN LUIS, CO — Arrest warrants and grand jury indictments against Costilla County’s sheriff and several deputies have shaken law enforcement in one of Colorado’s poorest and least populated counties, leading to the sheriff’s resignation and leaving the agency under new leadership this week.
The case matters now because it reaches deep into a seven-officer department that serves a wide rural county along the New Mexico line. Prosecutors say the charges stem from two separate episodes: the handling of human remains found on Wild Horse Mesa in October 2024 and the use of force against a man in a mental health crisis in February 2026. The accusations have already forced a change at the top, put remaining deputies on leave or out the door, and raised urgent questions about how public safety will be maintained while the criminal cases move forward.
A 12th Judicial District grand jury returned indictments against Sheriff Danny Sanchez, former Deputy Keith Schultz, Undersheriff Cruz Soto, Sgt. Caleb Sanchez and Deputy Roland Riley. Prosecutors said Danny Sanchez and Schultz mishandled human remains after a person reported finding them in the Wild Horse Mesa area in October 2024. According to the indictments, deputies took only a skull from the scene and left other remains behind. The court papers say Schultz did not write a report for about two months and that bones were later left in a bag on his desk. A coroner’s official later received the skull in an unlabeled paper bag, according to the charging documents. Danny Sanchez and Schultz each face counts of official misconduct and abuse of a corpse. After the indictments were announced, District Attorney Anne Kelly said she would not ignore conduct that could break public trust and said residents should not have doubts about the integrity of their police force.
The second set of allegations centers on a February confrontation involving a man who prosecutors said was in a mental health crisis and was trying to leave after deputies insisted he go to a hospital. The indictments say the man was unarmed and later reported being roughed up. Court records say he suffered broken ribs. Soto was charged with failing to intervene, failure to report use of force, third-degree assault and official misconduct. Caleb Sanchez and Riley were charged with second- and third-degree assault. The papers describe the use of a Taser during the encounter and say the force used went beyond what was justified. Some details remain unclear, including the full sequence of commands, the complete body-camera record and whether more internal records from the sheriff’s office will become public. As in any criminal case, the indictments are allegations, and each defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
The fallout spread quickly beyond the courtroom because the office is so small. A person who answered the sheriff’s office phone told reporters last week that the department had seven law enforcement officials on staff. Costilla County has about 3,500 residents spread across roughly 1,230 square miles in the San Luis Valley, a large area for such a small agency to cover. Soon after the charges were announced, Danny Sanchez resigned. County commissioners then held a special meeting on March 30 and appointed Joe Smith as interim sheriff. By the next day, officials said Smith was the only full-time employee left in the sheriff’s office after the indicted officers were removed and two other deputies walked out. That left the county relying on outside help while residents and local leaders tried to steady a basic public safety function that many communities take for granted.
Officials have said emergency service will continue, but only through a patchwork of support from neighboring and state agencies. Smith said in a written statement that there would be no failure to serve the county while formal agreements were completed. The 12th Judicial District Attorney’s Office said 911 calls would still be answered and that nearby jurisdictions had already helped with calls for service. Colorado State Patrol said it would respond to life-safety emergencies for as long as necessary, while the County Sheriffs of Colorado association said it was helping with administrative support and guidance for the transition. During the special commissioners meeting, Kelly said her chief investigator would remain in Costilla County in an administrative role to help Smith rebuild operations. That is an unusual arrangement, but county leaders have framed it as necessary in a moment when routine policing, supervision and recordkeeping all have to be stabilized at once.
The court process is now moving on a track separate from the political and operational crisis at the sheriff’s office. Colorado Judicial Branch records list cases for Danny Sanchez, Schultz, Soto, Caleb Sanchez and Riley under Costilla County. Docket information showed Danny Sanchez, Caleb Sanchez, Soto and Riley scheduled for appearances on bond at 9 a.m. on April 1. A separate court date for Schultz was not listed in the same roundup of local reporting at that point. The immediate legal questions are whether prosecutors seek additional filings, whether defense lawyers challenge the indictments or supporting evidence, and how much of the grand jury material will become public. The political calendar is moving too. Smith is expected to serve until a sheriff is elected in November and takes office, and local reporting has already noted candidates on the ballot for the June 30 primary. One of the people indicted, Soto, was still reported to be in the election process while signature review continued.
For residents in Costilla County, the case has become more than a courtroom story. It is a test of whether a deeply local institution can recover after accusations against much of its command staff. The county sits in a remote corner of southern Colorado, and the sheriff’s office often serves as the most visible face of government power. Kelly said no one in the San Luis Valley should doubt the integrity of their police force. Smith, taking office in the middle of the crisis, said the earlier actions described in the indictments did not reflect the values of law enforcement and promised to restore accountability. Those statements do not settle the criminal allegations, but they show the pressure local officials are under as they try to reassure the public. For now, the county’s law enforcement system is functioning through outside support, a newly sworn sheriff and a set of criminal cases that are only beginning.
The latest turning point came after the indictments set off resignations, leave decisions and walkouts that hollowed out the agency almost overnight. As of Thursday, the criminal cases remain pending, Joe Smith is serving as interim sheriff, and the next major milestones are upcoming court proceedings and the June 30 primary that will shape who seeks to lead the office next.
Author note: Last updated April 2, 2026.