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County Cops

No headlights on I-70

Deputies stopped a car driving without headlights on Interstate 70 near Vail July 4.

The 26-year-old driver was slow to pull over as officers followed her car with their overhead lights flashing. She exhibited several signs that she was under the influence of alcohol when the deputies contacted her.



The woman agreed to perform voluntary roadside sobriety tests and failed. She was arrested for further investigation of driving under the influence of alcohol and agreed to a breath test. At the jail, the breath testing device had mechanical problems, however, and the woman did not want to take a blood test. Since she had been so cooperative, deputies did not charge her with refusing a chemical test. The woman was cited for DUI and driving without headlights and without proof of insurance, and given a ride home.

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Caught wet-handed

The resident of an Eagle-Vail apartment complex called deputies after confronting his neighbor about rummaging through his open-topped Jeep.

The resident said he looked out his apartment window July 5 and saw his 28-year-old neighbor peeing by his Jeep in the parking lot. When he finished, the man leaned into the back of the open vehicle and reached inside. The resident yelled at the 28-year-old and the man walked away into his apartment.

The Jeep owner knocked on the man’s door and told him to stay out of his car. The 28-year-old was visibly intoxicated and denied reaching inside the car.

Deputies arrived and noted there was a puddle in the parking lot by the Jeep, consistent with the resident’s report. They contacted the 28-year-old and the man said he was only looking at things that could be stolen and pointing at them. He said he pointed but never touched anything.

The officers cited the man for criminal trespassing.

DUI suspect didn’t horse around

A deputy was driving straight through an intersection in Edwards July 5 when a truck pulling a horse trailer cut him off by turning right in front of the officer.

The deputy slammed on his brakes to avoid hitting the vehicle and he promptly stopped the driver.

The 34-year-old driver smelled of alcohol and appeared intoxicated. He told the officer he thought there was a merge lane.

The officer asked the man if he would perform voluntary roadside sobriety tests. The man refused, saying he had done them when he was investigated for DUI on another occasion. The deputy asked the man if he was refusing a chemical test as well, which would result in automatically losing his driver license for a year. The man said he was.

The 34-year-old was arrested for DUI and failing to yield to the right of way. The passengers in the truck were also intoxicated and had to get a sober driver to take them home.

Innocent of one crime, guilty of another

Colorado State Patrol investigated a hit-and-run accident in Red Cliff and believed the suspect who drove off was heading to Minturn July 8.

Later that day, a deputy saw the suspect’s car backing out of a driveway in Minturn. The officer pulled behind it and contacted the driver.

The 34-year-old man was visibly upset. He said his license had been revoked for a year and he was going to get it back in five days. He didn’t know anything about the accident. He said the car belonged to another person and he was just using the car to run an errand.

The deputy verified that the man wasn’t in the accident but had to arrest him for driving while his license was revoked.

Busser almost sparks a bad situation

Two bussers at an Edwards restaurant got into a fight July 9.

The manager broke up the fight between the 43-year-old and 31-year-old men. After she separated them, she smelled gasoline and found a gas container and three 5-gallon buckets filled almost to the brim with gasoline. The buckets were set in different areas of the restaurant and she started dumping them down a drain but the 43-year-old busser started filling them back up. The manager sent the man home and called deputies.

Officers contacted the 43-year-old off the premises. He said he has worked at the restaurant three years and the 31-year-old has worked there one year. He said the 31-year-old has been trying to get him fired and he can’t take it anymore. He wanted to scare the 31-year-old with the gasoline so that he would shut his mouth. He said he never had a lighter during this time and had no problems with anyone else.

The deputies noted there were about 10 employees and 12 guests in the restaurant at the time who would have been hurt if the gas vapors had been ignited.

The 43-year-old was arrested for felony menacing and reckless endangerment.

Software theft at HAATS

A computer with unique software was reported stolen from the Colorado Army National Guard High Altitude Aviation Training Site in Gypsum July 10.

A technician said the computer went missing between then and July 3. He said the software is used to make card keys for the building and is worth $12,000. The computer is worth $1,100. He said there is a door to the building that doesn’t always latch and he suspected that is how the thief got in.

Locked bike stolen

A locked bicycle was stolen from a condo complex garage on River Pines Court in Edwards between July 3 and July 11. The blue Raleigh road bike was worth $1,800 and the lock was taken as well. Two mountain bikes were left on the rack.


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