SUNDAY, MARCH 13
A deputy was dispatched to a residence in the 32000 block of Colorado Highway 160 in reference to a theft that had occurred two days earlier. The resident stated that he had thrown a party, and while cleaning up after the party, he found that his handgun was missing from its case. He searched the rest of his home but was unable to locate the missing gun. There were 15 to 20 attendees at the party, and the resident was not able to name a possible suspect from the group. The last place that the handgun was seen was inside a hard case on the window sill of his bedroom. The owner of the gun was unable to provide a serial number at the time, but would be able to do so in a follow-up call since he still has his original purchase paperwork. The handgun was valued at $615.
A deputy patrolling the 23000 block of County Road G observed a truck traveling eastbound with an expired Colorado temporary registration tag. The vehicle was pulled over, and the driver was asked for his license, registration and current proof of insurance. The deputy noted that the drivers hands began shaking uncontrollably while he spoke with him. There were two other female passengers in the vehicle. The driver stated that he did not have a valid drivers license and neither did the two passengers. When the driver was asked if there was anything illegal in the truck, he told the deputy that he was not sure because the truck did not belong to him. Based on prior contacts with the driver and the demeanor of all three occupants of the vehicle, the deputy requested a K-9 unit to respond to the location. The deputy asked dispatch to check the drivers license status as well for warrants, and was advised that the persons driving privileges are denied in the state of Colorado for an unpaid ticket. The driver was issued a summons for driving a vehicle while license is under restraint (denied). On the arrival of the additional deputy with a K-9, a free air sniff was conducted. A tow truck arrived to take possession of the vehicle.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 16
A deputy was requested to respond to Railroad Avenue in Dolores to the scene of a one-vehicle accident with property damage. The deputy spoke with the resident at the address, who advised that she had heard a loud noise and went to her front door to see that her fence had been severely damaged. The deputy then spoke to the driver of a sport utility vehicle, who advised that she had been traveling westbound, below the speed limit when she became aware of a bug in her car. While attempting to get the bug out of the car, she took her eyes off the road. When she looked back at the road, she was beginning to hit the fence and could not stop the vehicle in time to avoid a collision. The driver advised the deputy that the damage to the front end of her car was from a previous incident and not related to this one. The deputy did not suspect that alcohol or drugs were the caused of the accident, nor was there evidence in her vehicle to suggest otherwise. The deputy obtained insurance information from the two parties. The SUV driver was issued a summons for careless driving.
SUNDAY, MARCH 20
Cortez Dispatch requested a deputy respond to Eighth Street in Dolores in reference to a possible break-in. The deputy approached the residence and observed that a window was broken on the side of the house, with broken glass on the ground. A few feet away, he observed a brown leather jacket with a cloth hood with red stains on it that appeared to be blood. There was also blood on the broken glass from the window and on the ground at the front door. There was a light on inside the house, and the front door was still locked. A key with a green tag labeled C that appeared to be from a motel was found in the pocket of the jacket found outside the residence. The deputy followed a trail of blood leading north, then checked with local motels to see if there was one with a unit numbered C that matched the key. He located a motel that rented individual cabins; the keychain matched the motels others. Upon going to the cabin marked C, the deputy saw a drop of blood on the doorstep to the cabin. The deputy smelled an odor of alcohol on the suspects breath, and the suspect was unsteady on his feet. The suspect was charged with criminal mischief and transported to the Montezuma County jail, where he was left in the care and custody of jail staff.