Sheriff’s investigators working a series of burglary cases last fall happened to enter a local restaurant at the exact time that two suspects were leaving the establishment.
That lunch break provided the break that authorities needed to arrest Dalton Madden, 18, of Lewis and subsequently charge the Dolores High School senior with second-degree burglary, criminal mischief and theft.
After pleading guilty to felony criminal mischief on a deferred judgment, Madden was sentenced this week to 24 months of supervised probation, random drug and alcohol testing and unknown restitution and court costs. He was also instructed not to have any contact with his three underage co-defendants.
“You harmed a lot of people,” Chief District Court Judge Doug Walker told Madden on Monday, April 13.
Madden’s attorney, David Greenberg of Durango, said his client acted “stupidly” when he and others broke into a residence on County Road 24.35 during a school day last October. Although the oldest among the defendants, Greenberg said Madden wasn’t the ringleader.
Madden’s father also addressed the court at sentencing on Monday, saying the 13 days that his son spent in jail last fall “scared him straight.” He added Madden had since been offered an athletic scholarship to attend college this fall.
Admitting to his mistakes, Madden told the court that he had learned to take responsibility for his actions. He added that he dreamed of one day becoming a pilot.
“I got my priorities straight,” Madden told Walker.
In connection to the charges filed against Madden, court records reveal that he and other suspects damaged a $3,000 gun safe in an unsuccessful attempt to pry it open, and they stole $200 in cash, prescription pills, cowboy boots, video games and an electronic reader before slamming into a vehicle as they fled the scene.
According to court records, some of Madden’s co-defendants were also charged with stealing $96,000 in cash and two firearms from another home during a two-week crime spree involving at least three incidents.