On April 18th, 2024, the Salida Police Department was contacted by the El Paso County Department of Human
Services about a case that was previously sent to the Colorado Springs Police Department. A Salida Police Detective
spoke with an El Paso County DHS case worker. During the conversation, he learned that a female reporting party
had stated that she found a flash drive in her residence, which she shares with her husband Brandon Wells 42, of
Hartsel. She looked at the contents of the flash drive and found several pictures of suspected juvenile female genital
and underwear on it.
The reporting party believed these photographs were taken by Wells when he worked at the Boys and Girls Club of
Chaffee County. The reporting party said she suspected the pictures were taken at the Boys and Girls Club because
most of the pictures were of the genital area of juvenile females as they were climbing a rock wall at the Boys and
Girls Club. The female also reported that she found a plastic bag containing several pairs of underwear ranging in
size from children’s to women’s small. Because of how the photos appeared, she also suspected that Wells had a
camera set up in the changing room of the Boys and Girls Club.
Salida Police Detectives began looking into the allegations. During the investigation, it was learned that Wells had
resigned from the Boys and Girls Club in March of 2023 and no longer had access to the club after that. Salida
Police Detectives obtained search warrants for a residence in Hartsel, Colorado. The Chaffee County Tactical Team,
Buena Vista PD, Park County Sheriff’s Office, and Salida Police Detectives executed the search warrants collecting
digital evidence. The Park County Sheriff's Office Victim’s Assistance Team assisted with the relocating the family.
Salida Police Detectives interviewed Wells about the allegations. Once completed, Wells was released pending
further investigation and the completion of arrest warrants. The next day, Wells was found deceased at his residence
of an apparent suicide.
The Salida Police Department is still working on this case in order to notify potential victims and families. With the
large amount of digital evidence, screening and processing will take some time. A lab in Colorado Springs is
assisting us with the investigation. Once determined, we will be reaching out to the family of any local victims.
There is no evidence of any public safety concern associated with the Boys and Girls Club at this time.
If you have any additional information that may assist in this investigation, please contact the Buena Vista Police
Department at 719-395-8654 or Salida Police Department at 719-539-6880.