MONDAY, DEC. 12
A deputy noticed a sport utility vehicle traveling southbound on Park Street, and observed a male driver known from prior contacts and matching the description of a person known to have a revoked drivers license. The driver looked at the deputy and then accelerated the vehicle in an attempt to elude him. The same driver had also been contacted by the same deputy the night before, where he was advised not to drive and issued a verbal warning. As the deputy activated his emergency lights, he observed the vehicle accelerate through a stop sign, and then lost sight of it. While searching the area, the deputy located the vehicle in a driveway unattended, and it traveled through the front yard of the residence, almost striking a parked vehicle. There was no driver or passengers located. When going to check out the vehicle, the deputy was approached by a woman who told him that she was supposed to meet the suspect in the area to put gas in the SUV, and told the deputy that he had run south through the city parks, and confirmed that he had been operating the vehicle. The suspect was not located in the area, and the vehicle was towed away.
THURSDAY, DEC. 15
A deputy was dispatched to a location regarding vandalism to a vehicle. The reporting party showed the deputy the back of his pickup truck where someone had cut off the registration tabs from the rear license plate. It appeared that the tabs were cut out with the aid of metal cutters. The reporting partys wife had driven the truck to work the previous day, and the couple believe that the tabs were cut out while she was parked in the employee parking area at her place of work. The employer has been made aware of the occurrence. There is no suspect at this time.
FRIDAY, DEC. 16
A deputy traveling south on U.S. Highway 160 observed a sedan pass him headed north with a defective rear tail lamp emitting white light. He turned around and initiated a stop, and when he approached the car, the driver rolled down the rear windows and opened his door rather than rolling down the drivers window. When asked if his window worked, he stated Yes. The driver was unable to provide current registration, which indicated that it had expired in October. The deputy could smell alcohol on the drivers breath, and he exhibited physical signs of intoxication. When asked if he had been drinking, the driver said No. Dispatch advised that the drivers license was suspended and the cars registration was expired. The driver failed roadside maneuvers. After handcuffing and placing the driver in the patrol car, the deputy explained that the male drivers license would be revoked if he refused alcohol testing. The driver stated: (expletive) you Barney Fife. I refuse. Once at the jail, the driver continued to refuse all testing and was issued summons for numerous offenses. He was turned over to jail staff for booking without incident.
TUESDAY, DEC. 20
A deputy spoke with a reporting party in regards to a credit card that had been taken and used without his permission or knowledge in the Cortez area. The reporting party had an idea of who was in possession of the credit card, as the person had used it to pay his cell phone bill. There were approximately 12 unauthorized charges on the card, totalling $1,210. The reporting party believed the person in question may have been staying with a woman renting his property. A business that the card had been used in will provide authorities with surveillance video showing who used the credit card. The deputy will follow up with the renter to see if the suspect has been living with her, and has also attempted to contact the suspect at his cell phone number.
A deputy responded to a business for a cold report of vandalism. An manager of the business discovered that someone cut the fence to the business to gain access to a storage yard. After entering the yard, someone carried and stacked approximately six large cattle guard gates by the area where the fence had been cut. It appeared that the parties were interrupted in the process of trying to steal the gates and fled the scene. One gate was carried outside of the property line and was found in the nearby ditch. A check of inventory showed nothing was missing. There will be additional nighttime patrol at the business location.
SUNDAY, DEC. 25
A deputy assisted Cortez police with locating the owner of a vehicle involved in a hit and run crash, and went with them to the known residence of the cars owner. While knocking on the door, the deputy was greeted by a male who identified himself, and provided a birth date. He was told whom the authorities were looking for and stated that he didnt know the womanwho owned the car, and that he is from out of town, visiting a friend at the address. He invited authorities in while he went to get the car owners daughter. While attempting to get information on the whereabouts of the cars owner, dispatch ran clearances on the daughter and the male who answered the door. There was no known person of the name and birth date provided by the man, and the deputy asked him for his middle name. The male paused for an abnormal amount of time, appearing to conjure up a name, and provided a middle name. He also changed his story from being from out of town, to living at a local trailer park, but was unable to say what unit number. He was advised by the deputy several times not to lie about who he was. Dispatch provided the deputy with a name and birth date of someone matching the description of the male providing the false name, who also had a warrant out for his arrest. The deputy had dispatch send him a photo of the male and confirm the warrant. The male was placed under arrest and charged with criminal impersonation for knowingly providing false identifying information to avoid arrest on his known warrant.