The Glitter Bomber

February 2012, University of Colorado Denver

Peter Lucas Smith (illustrated above), a University of Colorado Denver student and Colorado Senate intern, threw a glitter bomb at then presidential candidate Mitt Romney after the 2012 Colorado caucuses. Smith missed his target, instead blanketing a floor at the CU Denver campus with blue sparkles. Still, he was fired from his internship and later pleaded guilty to disturbing the peace. These days, he’s recovering from his failed 2018 Colorado state Senate campaign to represent District 32. The independent earned 4.7 percent of the vote.

5280 July 2019
More From The Issue

The Mad Pooper

September 2017, Colorado Springs

Illustration by Curt Merlo

This sneaker-clad criminal first struck in a suburban family’s yard, where horrified children caught the runner in the act. Then she hit the same neighborhood again. And again. Despite several witnesses, the catchy nickname popularized by Colorado Springs residents, and a 2017 tweet from Charmin offering a reward (“If the #MadPooper turns herself in, we’ll give her a year’s supply of TP to help with her ‘runs’ ”), the offender continued her illegal dumps for weeks and, to this day, has escaped apprehension.

The Pom Pom Bandit

February 2019, Arvada and Lakewood

Illustration by Curt Merlo

We were hoping Brandon Wayne York’s nickname meant he committed his crimes in a cheerleading uniform. Alas, it references his headwear: The FBI bestowed the epithet on York after the thief donned a winter beanie during three bank heists, one in Arvada and two more in Lakewood, during which he passed a note demanding money and ran away on foot. York, along with his alleged accomplice, Richard Perdue, was finally caught in late February right after robbing another Lakewood bank.