On February 20, 2021, at 12:51 A.M., the Colorado Springs Police Department’s (CSPD) Communication Center received a report of a shooting inside a residence in the 2000 block of Squawbush Ridge Grove. The emergency call for service was placed by Dermot Blake who stated that he shot his wife. When CSPD officers arrived, they located one deceased adult female inside of the residence. Blake was detained on scene and subsequently transported to the Police Operations Center. There were two minor children also on scene who were uninjured. The children were also transported to the Police Operations Center. Based on the preliminary investigation, detectives from CSPD’s Violent Crimes Section responded and assumed responsibility for this investigation. Later that morning, CSPD Homicide/Assault Detectives applied for and obtained an arrest warrant for 33-year-old Dermot Andrew Blake, on the charge of Murder in the first degree and two counts of Child Abuse. Blake was later transported to the El Paso County Jail where he remains in custody. The two minor children were released to family members.
On February 22, 2021, the El Paso County Coroner’s Office completed the autopsy of the female victim. The victim has been identified as 30-year-old Tashianna Blake, the wife of the suspect Dermot Blake. While the Coroner’s Office will make the official cause and manner of death determination, this death is being investigated as a homicide and continues to be an active investigation. Further details will be released in the future as appropriate.
Ms. Blake’s death is the third homicide investigation in the City of Colorado Springs in 2021. The CSPD investigated six homicides at this time last year.
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 the Crime Stoppers Tip Line at (719) 634-STOP (7867) or 1-800-222-8477.