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Vail Valley cop blotter: Judge grants one last shot at rehab for self-proclaimed alcoholic

EAGLE — Landon Jensen looked the judge in the eye and told him the last nine months was the longest he has been sober since he was 13 years old.

He’s 31 years old and on his last chance. If he blows this opportunity, he’ll spend up to 10 years in prison.

“I’m an alcoholic,” Jensen told Eagle County District Court Judge Paul Dunkelman. That was hardly breaking news for the judge, who sentenced Jensen to two years in jail and five years probation.



Landon Jensen
Special to the Daily

The dash camera video of Jensen’s arrest was tough to watch, an alcohol and profanity-laced screaming tirade against the Eagle County Sheriff’s deputies arresting him last October for threatening someone with a large knife that he took from kitchen of the Gypsum Creek Golf Course restaurant.

“In my 25 years in the legal system I’ve never seen anything quite like it,” Judge Dunkelman said of the video.

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Chief Deputy District Attorney Joe Kirwan argued that Jensen has had all the chances anyone should, and prison should be his next stop.

Jensen and Public Defender Stacey Shobe countered that while, yes, Jensen has basically wasted his life so far — he has seven previous felonies — his last nine months of sobriety should count in his favor.

He decided he wanted to change, and has, he said. He has been in counseling and has also found a recovery group.

“I never want to go through this again,” Jensen said. “I’ve done some stupid stuff and I’m just tired of it. I’m just done with it.”

“You’ve never been successful before,” Judge Dunkelman reminded him.

Jensen said he was not successful before because he did not want to be. He said he knew he would drink, so he did it quickly “to get it over with.”

Kirwan was skeptical, especially given Jensen’s previous felony convictions.

“I don’t know how many chances a person gets to change his behavior. He claims that in the last eight months his behavior has changed and he has seen the light,” Kirwan said.

In his latest criminal escapade, witnesses at the Gypsum Creek Golf Club said Jensen walked into the clubhouse, apparently drunk or high. They asked how he was doing and he said, “I’ll show you how I’m doing!”

Jensen disappeared into the clubhouse kitchen and threatened people with a large knife.

“I will never sit with my back to the door again for fear of some nut drunk coming in and hurting someone,” one of the witnesses said.

When he was 18 his parents ordered him out of their house because he could not follow their rules. Kirwan conjectured that Jensen physically abused his parents.

Shobe said Jensen has been either homeless or incarcerated or homeless since then.

Living on the streets left him stabbed a couple times and fighting to survive, Shobe said.

“It’s difficult to send someone to prison in Colorado and that’s probably a good thing. Prison is for people who pose a danger to the community at large,” Kirwan said, adding that when Jensen is drinking he poses those community dangers.

Jensen said it made him sick to his stomach to watch the police videos of his arrest.

Jensen, though, says he’s done drinking, thanks to counseling and Alcoholics Anonymous. He said that while he would be grateful for another chance at rehab, he was ready to go to prison if that was the judge’s decision.

“I thought I could do it on my own,” Jenson said.

Lovesick and locked up

A Vail Valley man apparently had a hard time accepting that, dude, she’s just not into you.

Chayse Weinraub allegedly made 141 phone calls and sent 110 social media messages to the object of his affections. She sent 10 messages asking him to stop. He didn’t and will spend three years in community corrections, learning to survive with less technology.

Weinraub’s prior felony conviction in Miami, Florida, became part of Eagle County Court Judge Rachel Fresquez’ sentencing equation in his stalking case.

Chayse Weinraub
Special to the Daily

Judge Fresquez said that Weinraub has “little regard for court orders,” calling his behavior “aggravated.”

In the Montrose community corrections facility, Weinraub will be able to work a job and receive counseling.

Fifth time’s not the charm

Gregory Bowers had four cases pending before his last DUI arrest. Now it’s five.

Bowers was arrested for his fourth DUI in the last year, prosecutors said.

That means he broke the rules of his bond, which orders him to stay away from alcohol. That also means he was driving, even though his driver’s license had been suspended.

In setting his bond at $12,000, Eagle County Court Judge Rachel Fresquez cited Bowers’ apparent unwillingness to abide by the court’s orders that he shall not drive or drink, and to certainly avoid doing them at the same time.

Gregory Bowers
Special to the Daily

He faces two felonies, a misdemeanor and two traffic offenses, according to court records. His bondsman asked that the bonds in two traffic cases be revoked.

He’s scheduled to be back in front of Judge Fresquez for all five counts at 9:30 a.m., September 17.


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