WEDNESDAY, DEC. 7
A deputy was requested to respond to a liquor store in reference to a vehicle that had struck the building. When he arrived, he observed a male standing by a pickup truck. The male was known to the deputy from prior contacts. The truck had a snow plow on the front, and there was a tow strap attached to it and the pole holding up the roof on the porch. The deputy noted the strong smell of alcohol on the male. The male denied being the person driving the truck when it struck the building, saying it was a friend who had run off because he was afraid of getting into trouble.
A clerk in the store said that she was working inside when she heard a loud noise, and shortly afterward, the male entered and purchased a 24-ounce beer. She did not see him driving, but said that she knew that he was the only person in the vehicle. The deputy spoke with a witness who confirmed this and gave details of what he had seen. Surveillance video of the scene confirmed the information given by the witness.
When the deputy contacted the male suspect, he again denied that he had been driving the truck when it struck the building. When confronted with the fact that the deputy had observed him on the surveillance video, the suspect did not respond, and did not want to perform roadside maneuvers. He was placed under arrest for investigation of DUI, and refused to take a blood or breath test. Dispatch advised that his license had already been revoked for refusal to undergo testing in a previous case. The male was transported to the jail and issued summons for numerous charges.
THURSDAY, DEC. 8
A deputy was dispatched to a local convenience store for a complaint of shoplifting. The deputy was shown surveillance footage of two females and one male as they entered the store. One of the females picked up two quarts of motor oil and then went into the womens rest room. She was seen exiting the rest room without the items in sight. She joined the male in the group, and the male was seen taking items off a shelf and putting them in the females shoulder bag. The three people got together in a blind spot in the store for a short time before leaving. The male was observed putting the motor oil into an older model two-toned blue Ford Bronco. The three suspects were recognized and identified and will be charged with theft.
TUESDAY, DEC. 13
A deputy pulled over a westbound vehicle in Dolores that was traveling faster than the posted speed limit of 35 MPH. Radar confirmed that the driver was traveling at the speed of 48 MPH. The female drivers driving status came back from dispatch as cancelled/denied for failure to pay a traffic ticket. She was issued a verbal warning for speeding and a summons for driving while license under restraint/denied. The deputy explained to the woman that she cannot drive until she has this problem resolved through the Colorado DMV.
THURSDAY, DEC. 15
A deputy parked in a marked patrol vehicle observed a sedan make a turn from a stop at an intersection without using required turn signals. One of the three passengers in the vehicle told the deputy that he did not have any identification on him, and gave a name that turned out to be false, after dispatch checked date of birth and found a similar name attached to it that had an active warrant. After asked a second time what his real name was, the passenger admitted his true name and said that he knew he had a warrant. He was placed under arrest for criminal impersonation; he stated that he understood the charges and apologized for lying about his name, and that he did so because he did not want to go back to jail. The female driver of the sedan was given a verbal warning for not using her turn signals when required.