Homicide suspect arrested (updated)

Darin Alan Ninneman, 30, is being held without bond in the Arapahoe County Jail after being charged with killing his mother, 52-year-old Lorri Ninneman.

Littleton police were called to the home at 5630 S. Windermere St. on Saturday, May 5, about 6 p.m. They found the woman severely injured, though they’re not saying what injuries were apparent. Emergency crews took her to Littleton Adventist Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

The Arapahoe County Coroner’s Office on May 7 ruled her death a homicide, the result of multiple stab wounds.

Darin Ninneman was arrested near the scene, and LPD Cmdr. Kim Ferber said he did not resist arrest. He has a lengthy criminal history, including drug charges and identity theft.

Bill Mohan, who has run Mohan’s Auto Repair next door to the house for 20 years, said he hired Darin Ninneman to clean up around his shop a few times over the last couple of weeks, despite the fact that Ninneman said he’d just gotten out of jail.

“He seemed like a pretty good guy, I thought,” Mohan said.

In fact, Ninneman was supposed to show up the day of the incident and didn’t. Mohan said that wasn’t unusual, but otherwise he was nice, conscientious and a good worker. Mohan did note that there seemed to be a lot of people coming and going from the house.

The cheerful bungalow, adorned with pinwheels, planters and other lawn ornaments, is tucked between Mohan’s and the building that houses Beyond Sight and Romano’s Italian Restaurant. The Romano family owns the house and another next to it.

“We are deeply saddened by the tragic incident,” Sue Romano said on May 7. “It was just such a random act of violence, and we hate to see that here on our little piece of Windermere.”

The Romanos had been renting the house to Bobby Ullery, a man they’d often hired to stripe their parking lots, for about six months. Sue Romano described Lorri Ninneman as Ullery’s girlfriend, and said she was unsure if she lived with him or was just visiting. She said they’d had no problems at the house since Ullery lived there. He’s staying with friends now, she said.

“He’s a good guy,” she said. “But he’s a down-on-his-luck kind of guy, and my dad likes to help out guys like him.”

Darin Ninneman is scheduled to appear in Arapahoe County District Court for a review hearing at 2:30 p.m. May 10.