Home / Crime and Justice / Eco-Terror Suspect Charged in 7-Year Water System Tampering
Eco-Terror Suspect Charged in 7-Year Water System Tampering
3 Sep
Summary
- A 65-year-old man faces felony charges for alleged water system tampering.
- The alleged eco-terrorism impacted Northglenn and Golden's water supply.
- Damage costs exceeded $50,000, with over $1 million in water redirected.
Fabrizio Lorenzin, a 65-year-old man, is facing four felony counts for allegedly tampering with a water system on Berthoud Pass, which supplies drinking water to Front Range communities. The charges were announced by the Colorado Attorney General's Office and the 14th Judicial District Attorney. This case of alleged eco-terrorism dates back nearly seven years.
The investigation began in August 2019 with sabotage events in Grand County. In 2022, repeated damage to a canal and water gates at the Berthoud Pass Watershed Ditch occurred, costing over $50,000 to fix. Trail cameras later captured images of a suspect after over $1 million in water was found to have been redirected from residents' homes.
After surveillance cameras were installed by Northglenn crews, the suspect was repeatedly identified. The cameras were subsequently stolen. In 2024, a license plate image was captured, leading to Lorenzin's arrest warrant being issued two years later. The city of Northglenn emphasized the critical importance of protecting its water supply infrastructure.
