Burglar killed by officer was 'addicted' to stealing

The man shot and killed Sunday by a police officer during an attempted burglary at a home in northeast Colorado Springs was a habitual criminal whom the mother of his child said was addicted to stealing.

Paul Kovacevic, 29, has been arrested six times for burglary, three times for theft and twice on drug charges and was facing a possible 18-year sentence in prison, said Melissa Deutsch, who has a 9-year-old son with him. He had three warrants for his arrest at the time he was killed, Colorado court records show.

Kovacevic was shot and killed by a Colorado Springs police officer who had was investigating a possible burglary in the 8200 block of Candon Drive. The officer found two suspected burglars when he entered the home, police said.

The El Paso County Coroner's Office determined that Kovacevic died of a gunshot wound. His death is the 13th homicide in Colorado Springs this year.

Police said the officer, whose name has not been released, encountered Kovacevic and 29-year-old Adam Cecil in the living room. Kovacevic pulled a gun and "one shot was fired by the officer," said Lt. David Whitlock, police spokesman.

The officer used a Taser stun gun to stop Cecil when he ran from the house. Kovacevic's body was found in the garage.

The gun Kovacevic pulled on the office did not belong to the homeowners, police said.
The officer has been put on paid administrative leave while investigators from the 4th Judicial District Attorney's Office determine if the shooting was justified.

Cecil made his first court appearance Monday. When it came Cecil's turn to be advised via the closed circuit video camera, he asked El Paso County Judge Jonathan Walker, "How are you?"

"I'm OK. I imagine better than you," the judge replied. "See the trouble you got yourself into? I mean, your colleague is not standing here."

Cecil gave no reply.

Walker advised Cecil of the burglary charge, set his bond at $100,000 and set a May 27 date for his next court appearance.

Despite his life of crime, Deutsch said Kovacevic was a good man who was just on the wrong path.

"He's funny, he cared about people," she said. "If he could help people that's what he did."

Deutsch said he also was not the type of person to use a gun. His criminal history does not include any use of weapons.

"Paul wasn't the kind of person to have a gun," she said.

She found out about Kovacevic Sunday afternoon. He was supposed to meet up with her and she got worried when he didn't.

"I called him and he didn't answer," she said. "I checked online on the news. I saw what was going on and I had a bad feeling. I just knew. I just knew."

Deutsch said that Kovacevic found out recently that his criminal history had caught up with him. He faced a prison sentence, she said, for taking her car and leading police on a chase. After that, he seemed to not care what happened to him, she said.

"People don't believe that stealing is an addiction, but it is," she said. "Paul, in his mind, felt like he had no hope and just didn't care anymore."

Gazette reporters John Ensslin and Carlyn Ray Mitchell contributed to this report.

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