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Crime Briefs: Bad trip’s destination is felony charges

Ryan Summerlin
rsummerlin@postindependent.com

Glenwood Springs police last week wrangled a 19-year-old Carbondale man who was reportedly “freaking out” on LSD in the downtown area.

Police received reports early the morning of Sept. 2 that the young man was damaging a red car he’d climbed on top of on the 700 block of Cooper Avenue.

Three other young men later told police that he had been at their house and was on LSD. But at one point he started “freaking out” and threw a glass against the wall, they said.



They kicked him out of the house, and he then started damaging a red Ford sedan with Texas plates. Police found the roof caved in and a dented fender.

When officers arrived the 19-year-old ran down a nearby alley. Officers commanded him to the ground, but he ignored them.



An officer could hear him “muttering incoherent words and shouting intermittently,” according to an affidavit. “The male began to pace back and forth rapidly continuing to shout.”

The officer drew his Taser, but the perpetrator ignored him, at one point taking off his shirt and threatening to fight a group of men nearby, according to an affidavit.

When the young man started stepping toward the officer, ignoring his orders to stay back, the officer fired the Taser into his abdomen.

The teenager continued to fight against officers who were trying to detain him. He attempted to hit one officer, and was eventually pepper sprayed. He later kicked an EMT in the legs and was transported to Valley View Hospital for detox, according to police.

He was arrested on charges of attempted second-degree assault, a class 5 felony; and criminal mischief, a class 6 felony. His misdemeanor charges included third-degree assault, resisting arrest, obstructing a police officer and use of a controlled substance.

Rifle man arrested in carjacking

Rifle police arrested a 25-year-old Rifle man after his ex reported that he’d organized her carjacking and beating.

The 50-year-old Parachute woman said she was in a romantic relationship with the 25-year-old.

She was recently arrested in an undercover buy and charged with attempted distribution of methamphetamine and possession of a half-pound of methamphetamine.

Having broken up about a week prior, they agreed to meet to exchange some property.

He asked her to come to a storage unit at Winchester West Mini-Storage. But opening up the unit, she found three people inside who pulled her inside, started beating her and stole her 2005 Ford Taurus, she told police.

Stopping the young man on the street the next day, officers believed he was under the influence of some stimulant. Sweating profusely, he was unable to sit still or stop talking, according to an affidavit.

Officers attempted to place him in cuffs, and the 25-year-old fought back, hitting one officer in the side of the head and clawing at his face, according to an affidavit.

They found brass knuckles in one of his pockets and about 7.8 grams of methamphetamine in the other.

Earlier in the day officers had found the woman’s car on the 1900 block of Howard. On the ground behind the Tauru, they found a bag of about 4.1 grams of methamphetamine, which they believed belonged to the 25-year-old.

He was arrested on charges of robbery, a class 4 felony, possession of methamphetamine, a level 4 drug felony, and aggravated second-degree vehicle theft, a class 5 felony. His misdemeanor charges included possession of an illegal weapon, third-degree assault and obstructing a peace officer. Domestic violence could be used as a sentence enhancer.

Fake $20 lands Texan in jail

Glenwood Spring police were called to the Loco gas station on Colorado 6 Wednesday morning for a report of a man paying with counterfeit money.

A cashier told police a man had paid for gas with a fake $20 bill.

Officers later stopped a 28-year-old homeless man with a Texas driver’s license who fit the description.

In his vehicle, officers found a printer on the floorboard with a print of a counterfeit $20 bill. Officers also found numerous other fake prints of U.S. currency in the vehicle.

He was arrested on charges of forgery, a class 5 felony, driving without proof of insurance, a misdemeanor, and petty offense theft.


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