On January 13, 2022, officers with the Colorado Springs Police Department responded to an urgent request for assistance by the Colorado Springs Fire Department as they were attempting life saving measures on a 5-year-old child, Emily Canales. Officers notified the Crimes Against Children Unit after the child was transported to a local hospital where she succumbed to her injuries. A joint investigation was conducted by the Crimes Against Children Unit with the assistance of CSPD’s Homicide/Assault Unit.
An autopsy was conducted, followed by an extensive investigative process. On June 14, 2022, Emily’s death was ruled a homicide with multiple blunt force injuries being listed as the cause by the El Paso County Coroner’s Office. CSPD Detectives continued the investigation in cooperation with the 4th Judicial District Attorney’s Office. On June 28, 2022, Crimes Against Children Detectives applied for and were granted arrest warrants for both Brianne Escamilla (Age 27), mom, and Matthew Urias (Age 26), mom’s boyfriend, for the charge of CRS 18-3-102 Murder in the 1st Degree.
CSPD’s Violent Offender Fugitive Task Force took responsibility of locating and arresting Escamilla and Urias. Urias was taken into custody without incident on June 29, 2022. After working with the U.S. Marshalls Service and the Littleton Police Department, Escamilla was taken into custody without incident on July 5, 2022, in Littleton, Colorado.
Emily’s death is the 26th homicide investigation in the City of Colorado Springs in 2022. At this time last year, the CSPD investigated 21 homicides in the City of Colorado Springs.
Anyone with information or who is a witness to this investigation is asked to call the Colorado Springs Police Department at (719) 444-7000; or if you wish to remain anonymous, you may call Crime Stoppers Tip Line at (719) 634-STOP (7867) or 1-800-222-8477.