MONDAY, JULY 30
Cortez dispatch advised a deputy of a reckless driver and possible domestic/assault situation at the Ismay trading post located on Road G. The deputy responded to the area and observed a vehicle matching the description given by dispatch traveling east on Road G just inside Montezuma County. The vehicle turned around and began traveling west on Road G. The deputy observed sparks coming from the underside of the vehicle. The deputy turned on lights and sirens in order to stop the car, and as it slowed to a stop, the passenger in the vehicle got out and ran across the roadway towards the south, fleeing from the area. The adult female driver was contacted by the deputy, who provided a Colorado ID card. The deputy could smell alcohol coming from the womans breath and person, and she was slow to respond when asked to get out of the car. Dispatch advised that the womans drivers license was revoked for a prior alcohol offense. After performing voluntary roadside maneuvers, the woman was taken into custody for driving with a revoked license and suspicion of driving while ability impaired. The deputy then assisted three others in an attempt to locate the male that had fled the car when it was pulled over, who dispatch advised had three outstanding warrants for arrest. The woman was left in custody of jail staff, and an investigation continues regarding the escape of the male suspect.
TUESDAY, JULY 31
A deputy patrolling on Hwy. 160 was flagged down by the State of Colorado rest stop groundskeeper. The groundskeeper asked the deputy some questions regarding vagrancy issues at the rest stop, and then informed him about an unattended vehicle that had been parked there for two days. The deputy reported the vehicles information to dispatch and the silver pickup truck with New Mexico plates came back as reported stolen out of Farmington. The pickup was towed from the rest stop.
WEDNESDAY, AUG. 1
A deputy patrolling the lower parking area at Totten Lake observed a sedan pull into the upper parking area, park and turn off its lights. The lake is closed after dusk unless the persons on the premises are actively engaged in sport fishing. The deputy pulled into the upper parking area and contacted the vehicle. As he was exiting his patrol vehicle, he observed the female passenger in the car making furtive movements, including reaching behind the car seats. The deputy asked the male driver for his ID and observed an open 12-pack of bottled beer on the rear floorboard behind the woman and an open 40 ounce malt beverage next to an empty beer bottle on the floorboard behind the driver. The vehicle was still running. The deputy could smell a strong odor of alcohol coming from the male driver as well as other physical indicators of intoxication. When asked if he had consumed any alcoholic beverages, the driver said he had earlier that day in Farmington, and that he was a felon and just got out of prison. He was questioned on what he had been incarcerated for and said it had been for assault with a deadly weapon. The driver did not perform satisfactorily on voluntary roadside maneuvers compared to a sober person. The deputy had to tell the driver multiple times not to put his hands in his pockets, and was patted down for weapons. He admitted to having to pipes on him for smoking marijuana. The male was taken into custody and the car was released at his request to the female. While changing clothing at the jail, a rolled up plastic baggie was found hidden in the suspects pants, and an additional charge of introducing contraband was added to his charges and he was issued a felony hold slip.
WEDNESDAY, AUG. 1
A deputy was dispatched to a residence for a report of a cold burglary. While a woman had been gone from her house, she came home a few hours later to find her dog outside the house running around and the front door open. All the doors had been locked before she left, with the dog inside the house. She went inside and found a window screen pried open. Her wallet in her purse had been opened and $100 in cash was missing from it, and also discovered a glass lantern cover valued at $200 was gone. She did not know who could have broken in to the residence, as she and her fiance are the only ones with keys to the house.
THURSDAY, AUG. 2
A deputy was contacted by the general manager of Aarons rental center in Cortez, who reported that he had received a report from a renter that his ex-girlfriend had pawned a 42 Panasonic plasma television he had rented from the business while he was incarcerated at the detention center. He said that she had contacted him while he was incarcerated and asked if she could sell the TV, and he stated that he had told her that it did not belong to him, it belonged to Aarons. The deputy contacted the owner of a pawn shop who verified that the woman had come in and pawned the item, and he recognized the woman as a past customer of his. He did ask for a government-issued ID before he did any business with her, and she provided a New Mexico ID card. He provided the deputy with a copy of the pawn receipt, which the woman had signed in the area under the Declaration of Ownership. The pawn shop owner advised that the TV had already been traded in for something else due to the fact that it had been at the pawn shop without any payments made. The deputy was provided with the contact information for the customer who had traded for the TV, and the pawn shop owner told the deputy he would reimburse the customer. The deputy contacted the customer and informed him the television was stolen property, and the customer was very cooperative and released the TV to him. The television was released and picked up by the manager of the rental center in good working order the same day. The deputy obtained a warrant for the arrest of the ex-girlfriend.