WEDNESDAY, DEC. 14
A deputy observed three men in dark clothing walking and hitchhiking southbound on U.S. Highway 160. The deputy made contact with the subjects to make them aware of their safety while walking on the highway with dark clothing and to identify them. One of the subjects kept putting his hands in his pockets. The deputy asked the man if he had any weapons on his person, which he denied. The deputy asked, and the subject gave him permission to check his pockets. The deputy pulled out a homemade tinfoil marijuana pipe with a usable amount of marijuana in it. The male subject was issued a summons for possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia. The three subjects left on foot, stating that they were walking to Arizona.
FRIDAY, DEC. 16
A deputy pulled over a vehicle that was weaving and twice wandered into the oncoming lane. The driver was advised why he had been pulled over, and stated that he was weaving because of all the tools in the vehicle, which weighed it down. The deputy could smell a faint odor of an alcoholic beverage, as well as the odor of marijuana, and the driver exhibited physical symptoms associated with drug use. After the driver was asked to step out of the vehicle and asked if he had any marijuana, he admitted that he did and provided a small container of it, along with a wooden pipe from a cooler inside the car. He also admitted to having a small bottle of scotch that he drank earlier while driving, and that he had smoked some pot earlier that day. The driver tested negative for drugs active in his system during roadside maneuvers. He was issued a summons for possession of the pot and the paraphernalia. He was asked to call someone to come get him based on having marijuana in his system and agreed to call someone to come drive him.
TUESDAY, DEC. 27
A deputy was dispatched to contact someone in reference to criminal mischief that had occurred in Dolores. He met with a man at a car repair shop and was shown damage to his vehicles transmission. Mechanics at the auto shop discovered that someone had caused intentional damage to the vehicle, and confirmed that the oil filter of the car could not have sustained the type of damage it had without it being done intentionally, due to it being enclosed by the metal oil pan. A person of interest was named as a possible suspect, and had previously threatened the cars owner. The person of interest will be investigated further.
THURSDAY, DEC. 29
Dispatch requested that multiple deputies respond to a residence on a report of a burglary in progress. A male at the residence had observed an unknown male in the sun room of his house attempting to make entry into the living area. The homeowner and his wife had locked themselves in their bedroom to call 911 out of sight of the intruder. When deputies arrived, the suspect was no longer inside the house, and a search of the area began. Deputies found glass on the floor in the sun room and in the doorway to the living room of the house from the door that separates the two rooms. The male at the home told deputies that he had gotten up at approximately 5:30 a.m., and had observed an unknown male standing in the sun room trying to gain access to the living room. When he turned on the light and asked the intruder what he was doing, the suspect stated something like, Im just here. On his way to the bedroom, the homeowner saw the intruder sit on the couch in the sun room. The intruder was unknown to the man or his wife. Deputies on scene had heard voices at the south end of the residence and then observed a truck drive away from the area of the voices. Evidence was gathered at the scene, and investigation continues.
A sex offender released Dec. 23 after being held at the county jail failed to register his new location within the required five days after his release. His current location is unknown, and it is thought that he might have returned to Utah. The case is under investigation.
A deputy responded to a report of a drunk driver who left a gas station in Dolores after hitting a pole. While heading to the scene, the deputy observed the reported vehicle coming toward him on Colorado Highway 145. The vehicle weaved over the fog line, and then traveled into the deputys oncoming lane of traffic and came at him head on, causing him to drive completely off the roadway to keep from being struck. The deputy turned on his emergency equipment and turned his patrol vehicle around to pursue. The vehicle being pursued pulled back into his lane of traffic and continued driving, with the patrol car directly behind him, with the driver making no attempt to stop. He instead pulled back into the oncoming lane of traffic. Oncoming vehicles observed him in the wrong lane and started to pull off the roadway. Before reaching the vehicles, the car came to a complete stop in the middle of the highway, still in the wrong lane, and suddenly pulled off the roadway and into the entrance of a driveway and stopped. The driver was ordered to turn off the vehicle, but ignored commands, and sat there, looking at the deputy. The driver then began to move the car again, and the deputy drew his duty weapon and ordered him to stop, in the fear that he was going to run him over or back out into oncoming highway traffic. After another deputys vehicle blocked the car in, the driver exited his vehicle. He was known to deputies from previous law enforcement contacts, and was so unsteady on his feet that he nearly fell. He exhibited all symptoms of being drunk, and also named numerous medications he takes. It was believed he was also under the influence of drugs. He was booked for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs or both, driving with a blood alcohol content of 0.08 or more, driving without a valid license, careless driving, eluding, and reckless endangerment. The driver asked the deputy for some legal advice, and was told he needed to direct his questions to an attorney. He was left in the care and custody of jail staff. The mans traffic accident is also under investigation.