A 28-year-old man suspected in an assault around 7:40 p.m. Saturday and an armed robbery about two hours later was arrested by Durango police officers behind Town Plaza shortly after the robbery.
Durango Police Department officers arrested Travis Silversmith walking northbound behind Town Plaza after officers were flagged down by a man on the 100 block of Ninth Street. The man reported he had just been robbed of his bicycle by a man who had displayed a handgun, and he told officers the robber was walking northbound from the scene behind Town Plaza.
Police approached the suspect, but he continued to walk away before complying with officers’ orders, according to a Facebook post by DPD.
Silversmith was not armed when arrested, but officers located a gun nearby.
Silversmith was arrested on suspicion of aggravated robbery and menacing.
Based on Silversmith’s appearance and clothing, which matched the description given by a witness of the earlier physical assault on the 400 block of Florida Road, investigating officers realized Silversmith was a suspect in that crime as well.
At about 7:40 p.m., officers responded to a report of a physical disturbance on Florida Road. Witnesses described two assailants, a man and a woman, kicking a victim, who was on the ground.
The suspects fled toward the Animas River.
Witnesses gave officers a good description of the male suspect.
The 31-year-old victim in the assault said the suspects were trying to rob him of his cellphone and wallet.
Police located a woman suspected in the assault, but did not find the male suspect at the time.
Durango officers determined that Silversmith was the suspect in the earlier robbery, and Silversmith was also arrested in connection with that robbery.
Officers thanked witnesses and said the detailed description of the male suspect in the Florida Road assault “allowed officers to connect the dots.”
Silversmith is being held at the La Plata County Jail.
parmijo@durangoherald.com