DENVER (KDVR) — A man whom law enforcement issued a warning for earlier this month has been arrested after he was allegedly seen on video dancing and displaying a firearm inside a University of Northern Colorado dorm.
On Tuesday, UNC police responded to an anonymous report of an individual unaffiliated with the campus at the Arlington Park Apartments residence. The report included a video that had been posted to social media showing the incident.
Later, the Weld County Sheriff’s Office shared an alleged screenshot of the video, which appeared to show Debisa holding a long gun with a detachable magazine.
It’s illegal to have firearms inside UNC residence halls, and while officers responded immediately, the suspect was not found at the location.
After reviewing surveillance video, police identified the suspect as Ephraim Debisa, 21, who was released from the Weld County jail on Sept. 8 due to a new Colorado law.
Investigators found that Debisa left campus with the firearm at about 12:55 p.m. on Tuesday, and investigators also learned that Debisa had been let into the residence hall by “known associates as he has several friends on campus.” A campus safety alert was issued Tuesday, warning of his presence and advising anyone who saw him to contact police immediately.
He was re-arrested on Wednesday afternoon by the Greeley Police Department, UNC Police Department and the Weld County Sheriff’s Office. Debisa was arrested on charges of unlawful possession of a weapon on school grounds and trespass of an inhabited dwelling, both of which are felonies.
“The safety of our students and community is our top priority. While no one was threatened or harmed during yesterday’s incident, UNC PD collaborated with numerous local area law enforcement agencies to locate and apprehend him as quickly as possible. We are grateful for the support of our local, state, and federal partners and their efforts to ensure the safety of our community,” a letter to the campus community stated.
Weld County sheriff notified community of Debisa’s release
Before his release from jail earlier this month, Debisa was facing an attempted murder charge, among others. However, while awaiting trial, the issue of mental competency was raised, and the courts determined in July that his competency could not be restored, thus making him unable to stand trial.
“I knew this would happen. I am glad no one was hurt,” said Sheriff Steve Reams in a Weld County Sheriff’s Office release on Wednesday.
The UNC Police Department said Debisa is a known person to them, and they believe him to be dangerous. The agency said he was banned from campus in February 2021 after a burglary on campus and had a trespassing incident in January this year.
Weld County Sheriff Steve Reams took to social media on Sept. 8 to also warn of Debisa’s release.
“Colorado HB24-1034 has created a crisis where very dangerous individuals are being released to the street to reoffend over and over, this is the latest example,” Reams said in part. “I pray this individual doesn’t hurt another innocent victim, but the public deserves to know of his past violent actions so they can protect themselves accordingly.”
FOX31 spoke with the sister of one of Debisa’s alleged victims, a 27-year-old man celebrating the end of his book club series, when he was cornered in a parking lot and reportedly assaulted. Debisa reportedly left the man with a traumatic brain injury, and he was in the hospital for three weeks before going to a rehab facility and is now in speech therapy.
“Everybody is just shocked. How can somebody that’s done all of these horrific things just get out because of incompetence? We feel like, if you’re competent to commit all these crimes … serve and pay for your mistakes,” the victim’s sister said.
Anthony Sutton is a business strategist and writer with a passion for management, leadership, and entrepreneurship. With years of experience in the corporate world, he shares insights on business growth, strategy, and innovation through management-opleiding.org.
