Just before 9 p.m. on Oct. 20, Garfield County Sheriff’s officers were called for a domestic assault at the No Name Rest Area.

The caller reported an assault involving her sister’s fiancé, who along with her sister was homeless and living in their Ford Edge, according to an arrest affidavit.

Officers located the vehicle about a half hour later and began to question the male and female sitting in the driver and passenger seats.

The officer observed numerous cuts, scrapes, and bruises to the female passenger’s face and eye. He directed them both to open the door, but they did not.

One of the officers tried to speak with the female passenger, but the male wrapped his arms around her, pulled her back and covered her up with the same blanket he was under, states the affidavit.

The female’s father then arrived on scene and said he was glad officers arrived on scene before he had.

The initial caller said that, based on their phone call and with the male’s history of domestic violence, she was concerned for her sister’s safety. Officers determined that probable caused existed to arrest the male suspect for domestic assault related charges.

At approximately 9:30, offices again approached the vehicle and demanded the male open the door.

After an initial warning, one of the officers said, ”this is your final warning, you’re under arrest, open the door,” states the affidavit.

He did not move or open the door.

Using a window punch, the officer broke the window next to the drive seat. He reached in and unlocked the door.

The officer grabbed the male by the wrist and placed him under arrest.

While speaking with officers he asked, “so there’s no way I’m walking away tonight?”

Officers observed that the male had slight red marks on his right hand, but they were not consistent with the severity of the female’s injuries, according to the affidavit. The male also had blood on his socks and was walking with a slight limp, but the officers did not observe any visible bleeding or wounds on his right foot.

The officer believes the female’s injuries were sustained as the result of the male kicking her with enough force to injure his own foot, the affidavit states.

‘Target shooting’ led to previously reported drug arrests

A court affidavit outlines the original incident that led Garfield County officials to make several drug-related arrests last week.

Around 7 p.m. on Oct. 18, county dispatch received a call for shots fired on Gage Road near Rifle.

When the Garfield County Sheriff’s Office Threat Assessment Group (TAG) and other Garfield County deputies went to the scene to investigate, they passed a truck going in the opposite direction they knew to belong to a potential suspect, according to the affidavit. Officers turned around and made a traffic stop.

Officers approached the vehicle and a passenger said they were just target shooting on his property and trying to sight in a rifle, according to the affidavit.

Officers initially let them go, but during an investigation at the Gage Road location they found a vehicle at the residence with a VIN number matching a reported stolen vehicle.

“No resident of the house knew anything about the stolen vehicle and acted clueless on what it was and why it was there,” an officer stated in the affidavit.

The vehicle was then seized.

Officers found illegal narcotics and paraphernalia in the suspect vehicle, and ultimately obtained a search warrant that led to more illegal narcotics inside the residence. They also found a firearm that was reported stolen out of Weld County, with an estimated value of $1,200, according to the warrant.

On Oct. 24, officers arrested one suspect from the initial search warrant who said he was at the residence at the night of the shooting and was with two other individuals who fled up a hill when law enforcement arrived that night.

As reported in the Oct. 29 Post Independent, among those later arrested and charged with felonies as a result of the ongoing investigation, were:

• Gregory Allen Troupe (possession of methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute heroin, possession of a schedule 4 controlled substance – alprazolam & lorazepam – violation of bail bond conditions and possession of drug paraphernalia)

• Cathy Lanette Thomas (possession of methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute heroin, possession of a schedule 4 controlled substance – alprazolam & lorazepam – violation of bail bond conditions and possession of drug paraphernalia)

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• Nicolas Lawrence Drake Yerian (possession of heroin, possession of an illegal weapon – metallic knuckles – and possession of drug paraphernalia).

Two other suspects were also arrested due to failure to appear in court for criminal mischief and traffic offenses, according to the release.

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