A man hiking on Mount Yale with his sixteen-year-old daughter was assisted off the mountain by volunteers from the county’s search and rescue team during a nighttime mission Friday evening.  Neither the man nor his young daughter was injured during the incident.

Shortly before 7:30pm Friday, the sheriff’s office communications center received a call from the man, Steve Devries, age and residency unknown at this writing, who said he was calling from a satellite phone from just below the summit of Mount Yale.  He told the dispatcher that he and his daughter were having difficulty descending the trail.  His daughter was beginning to panic because her tennis shoes were unsuited to the slick terrain.  Both had warm jackets and food and water, but were otherwise unprepared to spend the night in the open.

By 8:30pm, the two hikers were on a rock base above tree line at about 12,355 feet.  Devries told the dispatcher that he and his daughter would be unable to continue as darkness increased.  The dispatcher instructed them to stay on the trail and to halt in place to await the arrival of SAR volunteers once they could no longer see the trail.  A few minutes later the two halted their descent due to darkness.

Finally, just before 10pm, SAR volunteers reached the man and his daughter.  They were both tired and cold, but otherwise unharmed.  With the assistance of the rescuers they finally reached the Denny Creek trailhead parking lot at midnight.

A Houston, Texas man, the subject of a search that began late Saturday night and continued all day Sunday, was finally returned to safety early Sunday evening. 

The sheriff’s office received a call shortly after 10pm Saturday from a man who reported that his friend, 46-year-old Kishore Joshi, had separated from their hiking party after summiting Mt. Harvard.  Joshi and one other person decided to traverse the ridge and summit Mt. Columbia.  On the descent from that mountain, Joshi became separated from his climbing companion.  He text-messaged his friends who had reached the trailhead that he had become disoriented and was not sure of his location.

At 11pm a search and rescue member was able to speak with Joshi by cell phone and tried to give him directions but Joshi continued to move and could not give an accurate location.  At one point, he told the volunteer that he had contacted some other hikers and would spend the night on the mountain in their camp.

Early the following day, Sunday, a search and rescue mission was launched.  Despite several attempts, no cell phone contact was established with Joshi.  Throughout the day, searchers posted at the North Cottonwood Creek Trailhead interviewed hikers returning from the mountain and asked if they had seen anyone fitting Joshi’s description; none had. 

By noon, a full-scale search mission was underway, involving approximately twenty-two personnel hiking in on foot and on ATVs.  Many of these were diverted from their other duties at Buena Vista’s Gold Rush Days events.  At 3pm, another hiker was reported overdue, further complicating the mission.  Fortunately this person walked out on her own, uninjured, a short time later.

With a full moon and clear skies, searchers expected to continue their efforts until after dark.  At around 4pm, still with no sighting or word from Joshi, planning was begun for continuing the search the following day.  The state’s search and rescue board was contacted to arrange for more personnel and search dogs from other counties and for helicopters from the Army National Guard to be employed in the search.

Then, as rescuers were assembling resources for the following day, a call was received from a resident in the Four Elk subdivision north of Buena Vista.  Mr. Joshi had arrived at their door requesting assistance, as he had finally hiked down from the mountain.  He was uninjured.

Justin Lamb, 29, formerly a resident of Chaffee County but currently serving a prison term in Canon City, has been charged with several additional felonies resulting from a lengthy investigation into the thefts of several motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) earlier this year.  The reported value of the stolen goods was just over $29,000. 

The thefts, reported over a period of about a week last April, occurred in the Salida and Poncha Springs area.  Six persons reported break-ins and thefts of cargo trailers, motorcycles, ATVs, and other items during that period.  One of the ATVs was later recovered from an Englewood pawn shop by detectives in that city.  Further investigation identified a suspect named WilliamVersteeg as the person who pawned the vehicle.  Lamb was found to be an associate of Versteeg, leading investigators to focus on Lamb as a suspect in the thefts.  Another stolen motorcycle was recovered by Englewood police in a “chop shop” operation linked to both Versteeg and Lamb.       

On April 9 as the investigation progressed, a Buena Vista police officer spotted Lamb inside City Market.  As the officer approached Lamb on an unrelated matter, Lamb ran to a car in the parking lot and sped off.  A pursuit ensued but was terminated by the officer due to the risk it posed to other motorists.  Five days later the vehicle was discovered abandoned on CR 191, not far from Lamb’s residence at the time.  It had been reported stolen earlier in the week and inside was a pair of motorcyclist’s goggles stolen during the trailer break-ins and thefts.  Found nearby were several items that had been reported stolen during the episode, including a motorcycle helmet and riding boots.

Lamb’s whereabouts were not known at the time.  Then, on May 1^st, a Parker police officer stopped a car on South Parker Road at about 1:30am.  After the driver was found to have multiple driving restraints, he was placed in custody.  A male was then discovered hiding under some material in the back seat.  After a brief scuffle with the officer, the man, later identified as Justin Lamb, got into the driver’s seat and attempted to drive off.  The officer, standing outside the vehicle, attempted to grab the keys and turn off the ignition but was pinned to the side of the car and dragged several yards until the vehicle rolled down an embankment and stopped.  Lamb then ran off but was later tracked by a K9 team and arrested.  The officer was not seriously injured. An 18-year-old woman who had been a passenger in the vehicle was also arrested. 

In the present case, Lamb is charged with theft, four counts of first degree aggravated motor vehicle theft, and two counts of second degree aggravated motor vehicle theft, all felonies.  He is also charged with two counts of misdemeanor theft and three counts of misdemeanor criminal mischief.  He remains in custody of the Department of Corrections.

Press release by Chief Jimmy Tidwell, Buena Vista Police Department

On the evening of Tuesday August 19^th, the Buena Vista Police Department and the Chaffee County Drug Task Force (to include members of the Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office and Salida Police Department) served a search warrant at 440 W. Mill St. as part of an investigation into the distribution and sale of methamphetamine. Officers of the Buena Vista Police Department and the Chaffee County Drug Task Force had been conducting this investigation for several weeks. Chaffee County sheriff’s deputies, to include members of the Chaffee County Tactical Team, assisted in the execution of the search warrant.

So far, two persons have been arrested in this investigation: Randall B. McGuire who was charged with Unlawful Possession of a Controlled Substance, a drug felony 4, and Unlawful Distribution, Manufacture, or Sale of a Schedule II and Schedule IV Controlled Substance, a drug felony 1. Also arrested was Christy Huffman, charged with Unlawful Possession of a Controlled Substance, a drug felony 4.

On September 6, 2014 at approximately 10:45 pm Chaffee County sheriff’s deputies were attempting to serve two outstanding arrest warrants on David Wayne Vantassell, a 25 year old resident of Poncha Springs.

Sergeant Kevin Everson and Deputy Robin Burgess were in the area of Vantassell’s home when he was spotted on Highway 285 in Poncha Springs. Sergeant Everson tried to stop Vantassell, who was driving a 2001 Audi, however he refused to pull over and a vehicle pursuit ensued. Sergeant Everson and Deputy Burgess pursued Vantassell who then headed eastbound on Highway 50 with speeds exceeding 131 as he approached the Salida city limits. Chaffee County personnel requested that stop sticks be deployed before Vantassell entered Salida. Salida Police personnel responded to assist but due to Vantassell’s excessive speed this was not possible. Vantassell continued eastbound on Highway 50 through Salida and eventually turned onto county road 102, entering the Salida stockyard area. Vantassell then drove back towards Salida, heading northbound on the dirt road that parallels the railroad tracks. A short time later law enforcement personnel located the suspect vehicle abandoned along the Arkansas River between the stockyards and Salida.

Personnel from the Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office and the Salida Police Department began a search of the area and located Vantassell on the east bank of the Arkansas River hiding in very thick brush. Vantassell was then taken into custody at that location and transported to HRRMC for medical evaluation.

Vantassell was observed and released from HRRMC and transported to the Chaffee County Detention Facility where he was booked into jail for the following charges:

1. 2 outstanding arrest warrants for Failure to comply with court orders
2. Felony Vehicular Eluding
3. Misdemeanor Reckless Endangerment
4. Resisting Arrest
5. Second Degree Assault
6. Speeding (131mph in a 40 posted 40 mph zone)
7. Reckless Driving 

The body of a Turret man, 92, was discovered in the crawl space of his home by friends who were concerned after hearing nothing from him for over a week.  At first believed to be a suicide, the man’s death is now suspected by authorities to be accidental due to a bizarre series of events.  An autopsy of the victim, Edwin Bartheld, is scheduled for Monday morning.

Shortly before 3:30pm Friday, the sheriff’s communication center received a 911 call from one of the man’s friends reporting the discovery.  Responding deputies were directed to the man’s body in the crawl space beneath the house.  He apparently had been dead for several days. 

Initial observations suggested the man had died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, but that was revised after authorities discovered a large cache of explosive devices and chemicals commonly used for manufacturing explosives inside the house.  At that point, deputies and investigators backed out of the house and called for the Colorado Springs Regional Explosives Unit and two nearby HAZMAT teams.  The scene was secured for the evening to allow a closer inspection by specialized units the following day.

On Saturday, members of the bomb squad and HAZMAT teams located large quantities of chemicals commonly used for manufacturing explosives, along with several homemade detonators and homemade explosives inside the house.  The explosives were removed and safely detonated by the specialists while HAZMAT team members identified chemicals and mixtures to assure they were stable prior to their removal from the house.

Once the house was declared safe, the man’s body was removed from the crawl space.  On examination, it appeared to authorities that he had most likely died when one of his homemade devices unintentionally detonated.  No conclusions have been reached at this time however, and the autopsy Monday will disclose additional information about the cause of death.

Information obtained by authorities at this point suggest a motive for the man’s actions, but the case remains under investigation and further details will be released as they are confirmed by investigators. 

Assisting the sheriff’s office on this incident were Chaffee Fire, Chaffee EMS, Chaffee Office of Emergency Management, Salida Fire, the local district attorney’s and coroner’s offices, Colorado Springs Regional Explosives Unit, Park County Fire Department’s HAZMAT unit, and Northeast Teller County HAZMAT.

Results of the autopsy performed Monday on deceased Turret resident Edwin Bartheld determined that death was caused by a small projectile that entered the front of the man’s throat, traveled at an upward angle, severed his spinal cord and lodged in his skull.  The projectile is in the custody of the sheriff’s office.  It appears to be a .22 caliber bullet but the degree of deformation makes a positive identification of the projectile difficult.  It is anticipated that the item will be submitted to CBI for analysis.  A .22 caliber semiautomatic handgun was found beneath the man’s body in the crawl space.  Manner of death –accident, suicide, homicide– awaits further analysis.

Early this morning, deputies returned to the house where the man’s body was discovered to begin a grid search of the crawl space dirt surface.  As they began, they noticed two fifty-pound bags of ammonium nitrate partially covered by a tarp.  These items had been left in place by bomb squad officers, as the substance is stable.  However, once the tarp was removed deputies discovered that both bags had been rigged with detonators, not observed the previous day.  The Colorado Springs Regional Explosives Unit responded, removed the bags, and safely disposed of the detonators.  

At present, deputies are in the cramped crawl space removing dirt using hand tools and plastic buckets, and examining the material with a sifter in an effort to discover additional evidence to trace the events leading to the man’s death.  Investigators have interviewed the property owners, a Florida couple, and others, and continue their investigation into the incident.

At about 6pm yesterday, Tuesday, volunteers from Chaffee County Search and Rescue South responded to the “Uncle Nasty” trail, part of the Salida trail system, to assist a 42-year-old Texas resident who had suffered an ankle injury while riding his bike on the trail. 

Ten search and rescue members responded to the base of Tenderfoot Mountain.   A route to the victim was chosen and the team climbed to the site of the injury with a big wheel and basket to aid in bringing the man back to the road. Two members of Chaffee County EMS assisted in stabilizing the man for the very rough ride out the steep trail system.   The man, Texas resident Michael Burton, was later taken to Heart of the Rockies Regional Medical Center for treatment.  His condition is not known at this writing.

After a staff briefing today that included sheriff’s investigators and representatives from the district attorney and coroner’s offices, the Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office formally closed the case of the death of Turret resident Edwin Bartheld, 92 at the time of his death. 

Mr. Bartheld’s body was discovered in the crawlspace of his home the afternoon of Friday, September 12.  A large cache of explosives and chemicals, including ammonium nitrate, along with several homemade detonators, were present inside the space with the body.  Evidence at the scene disclosed that one of the detonators had exploded inside a bucket of ammonium nitrate near the man, scattering the powder throughout the space.  A .25 caliber handgun was in the victim’s pants pocket, a .45 caliber handgun close by, and a .22 caliber semiautomatic handgun with a live round in the chamber and several in the magazine was found beneath the body. 

An autopsy completed Monday produced what we now confirm to be a .22 caliber bullet that had entered the man’s neck from the front, traveled at an upward angle, passed through the carotid artery, severed his spinal cord, and lodged in his skull.  The victim is thought to have died several days before his body was discovered.  Cause of death was declared by the coroner to be the gunshot and the coroner has now declared the death a suicide.

A puzzling aspect of the case was that the .22 caliber handgun, now determined to be the firearm that caused the man’s death, contained a live round in the chamber that appeared to be corroded to the extent that it required a good deal of exertion by a deputy to open the breech.  The condition of the firearm suggested that it had not been fired or cleaned in several months, so it seemed unlikely at the time that this could be the weapon that caused the man’s death.  A second search of the crawl space on Tuesday however, using hand tools to sift through the dirt around the body, turned up a spent .22 caliber casing that is of the same brand and style as those found in the gun’s magazine.

Evidence at the scene shows that the gunshot occurred first, followed by the blast, although the interval between the two events cannot be determined.  Investigators speculate that the Bartheld unintentionally initiated one of the timed detonators that lay next to him in the crawlspace, then put the .22 caliber handgun to his throat and fired it.  Death would have been almost instantaneous due to the severed spinal cord.  The bloody handgun fell to the ground next to the man.  The detonator inside the bucket of ammonium nitrate then exploded, causing the chemical to disperse throughout the crawlspace and cover the bloody handgun.  Ammonium nitrate is a corrosive that, when mixed with the man’s blood on the firearm caused the corrosion and initially misled the investigators.

From evidence at the scene, from the autopsy, and from interviews, investigators speculate that Mr. Bartheld intended to destroy the house with the explosives and commit suicide with the handgun, perhaps simultaneously.  While Mr. Bartheld’s motives cannot be decisively determined, his age, his solitary existence, and the possibility that the property could soon be developed against his desires, may have led him to take these actions.  He sold the property on which he and his wife had built the house in the 1970s, to a Florida couple September 17, 2008 for $50,000.  The Barthelds were allowed under the contract to live in the home “until death or until an agreed upon time.  No selling of or development of the property for seven years from the date of July 29, 2008.”  Mrs. Bartheld died Christmas Eve, 2012.

A 26-year-old Chaffee County man has been charged with the burglary and arson of a camper horse trailer that occurred August 2013.  The man, Eric Edward Pacheco, is currently in custody of the state’s department of corrections charged with an unrelated burglary.

At about 8pm August 1, 2013, units from the Chaffee County and South Arkansas fire protection districts responded to a structure fire on County Road 146.  There they found a camper horse trailer fully engulfed in flames.  After extinguishing the blaze, firefighters determined that the trailer was unoccupied.  No injuries were reported, but the camper trailer and its contents were a total loss.

Chaffee County sheriff’s sergeant Matt Goodwin took the initial report from the camper trailer’s owner, Jon White (White was an unsuccessful candidate for sheriff in 2007).  Mr. White said he had been living in the trailer but was absent at the time of the fire.  Destroyed in the fire were his camper and most of his personal belongings.  Several items, including several firearms, were reported missing.  Total value of the destroyed trailer and personal items was estimated to be approximately $48,000.

Agents of the Colorado Bureau of Investigation were called in to assist South Arkansas fire chief Doug Bess and sheriff’s deputies in the case.  CBI agents discovered solid evidence that the blaze had been deliberately set.

During a routine check of recently reported pawned items, personnel of the Chaffee County Communications Center discovered two of the rifles stolen from the camper had been taken in pawn at a local shop.   After seizing the two firearms, investigators were then able to locate and question the person who made the transaction, Georgia Schroeder, Pacheco’s mother in law.  The residence occupied by Ms. Schroeder, her daughter, and Pacheco is a few hundred feet from the scene of the earlier camper fire.

Investigators obtained a search warrant for the residence.  Inside they discovered two other firearms and a small fire safe that had been reported stolen from the camper. 

Ms. Schroeder is not suspected to be involved in the arson and burglary, and no charges related to that case are anticipated.  However, through a direct filing with the district attorney, Ms. Schroeder faces a felony charge of providing false information to a pawn broker for attesting at the time of the transaction that she was the rightful owner of the pawned items.  She was not arrested but is required to appear for a mandatory court appearance to answer the charge.

The suspect in this case, Eric Pacheco, has been formally charged with first degree arson, a class 3 felony; second degree burglary, a class 3 felony, theft, a class 5 felony; and criminal mischief, a class 4 felony.  He remains in custody of the Colorado Department of Corrections.

Under sheriff John Spezze, who assumes duties of Chaffee County Sheriff in January, 2015, has announced that he will name Derek Bos, Patrol Commander of the Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office as his new Under Sheriff.

Commander Bos began his career with the Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office in 2001 and was assigned as a patrol deputy from 2001 through 2003. Commander Bos then accepted a position with the Bozeman, Montana Police Department as a patrol officer and at the same time earned his bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice. Commander Bos then returned to the Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office in 2006 where he once again accepted a position as a patrol deputy. Over the next several years Commander Bos was promoted to patrol corporal and patrol sergeant before he was promoted to patrol commander in 2011.

In addition to his duties as patrol commander Commander Bos was instrumental in starting the Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Team as well as the Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office Tac Team. Commander Bos has served as the tac team commander since its inception.

Commander Bos was also instrumental in the implementation of the Standard Response Protocol (SRP) at both the Salida and Buena Vista School Districts. He continues to train both staff and students in SRP protocol in Salida and Buena Vista.

A Nathrop resident was arrested Wednesday evening after members of the Chaffee County Drug Task Force executed a search warrant at a home in the Chalk Creek area that turned up a quantity of methamphetamine and cash.  The man, Luke Anthony Scott Determan, 25, was jailed on felony drug charges.  Bond was set at $10,000.

The arrest came after an undercover task force operation developed credible information that Determan had sold methamphetamine at the house and was in possession of a quantity of the drug.  The transaction allegedly took place at the home of Determan’s relatives located on CR 291in Chalk Creek. 

Armed with a search warrant for the premises and an arrest warrant for Determan, lawmen discovered Determan in a garage located at the home of another relative nearby.  He was taken into custody without incident.  Officers then searched the home at which the transaction allegedly occurred.  Inside, they found three bags of methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia, and cash.  Total amount of the drug seized during the operation was just under ten grams with an estimated street value of approximately $1,000. 

Two hundred dollars and paraphernalia were turned up during the search of the house and seized as evidence.  Another five hundred dollars in cash located in Determan’s wallet could not be seized by officers due to restrictions placed in the search warrant by County Court judge William Alderton.

Luke Determan is well-known to local law enforcement officers, with arrests dating from 2008. He is scheduled for trial in Chaffee County in January on vehicular eluding charges stemming from an incident last April during which authorities allege Determan, driving with a revoked driver’s license, led them on a pursuit in north Chaffee County that reached speeds of well over one hundred miles an hour.  Officers broke off the chase due to the risk it posed to other motorists.  An arrest warrant was obtained and Determan was taken into custody by El Paso County deputies in July.

Charges brought in this latest incident include unlawful distribution of a controlled substance, a level III drug felony; and unlawful possession of a controlled substance, a level IV drug felony.

The Chaffee County Drug Task Force consists of officers and deputies from the sheriff’s office, Buena Vista and Salida police departments, and the local office of the district attorney.

Over the past 2 weeks the Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office has received two separate calls of attempted sexual assault at the Monarch Ski area. In both cases the suspect rode the lift with the victims then followed them down the ski run to a point where he then forced them into the trees and tried to sexually assault them. In the second incident the suspect pulled a handgun and fired the weapon in an attempt to coerce the victim to cooperate. In both instances the victims were able to escape and each time the suspect fled the scene.

In both cases the victims were teenage females preparing to get on the ski lift alone.

The suspect is believed to be a teenage Caucasian male, approximately 5’8” to 6’1”, weighing approximately 140 pounds. He is believed to have red hair and potentially freckles on his face.

The Monarch Ski Area and its management are cooperating fully with the Chaffee County Sheriff’s in the investigation of these incidents.

The Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office is asking for the public’s help in identifying his suspect. If anyone has information in regards to these incidents they are asked to contact either Sergeant Andy Rohrich at 719-207-0056, or Detective Claudette Hysjulien at 719-239-1600.

For any further information please contact Undersheriff John Spezze at 719-207-3199.

For immediate release

The Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office arrested a 15 year old Caucasian male in Monument, Colorado on January 6^th, 2015. This arrest was made in connection to the two recent attempted sexual assaults which took place at the Monarch Ski Area on December 19, 2014 and January 1, 2015.

Charges to be filed against the 15 year old male suspect include Felony Menacing, Aggravated Criminal Extortion, Enticement of a Child, False Imprisonment, two counts of Criminal Attempt to Commit Sexual Assault, two counts of Criminal Attempt to Commit 2^nd Degree Kidnapping and Harassment.

This investigation is continuing however no further arrests are expected at this time

Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office

Press Release

2/1/2015

11:59AM

For Immediate Release

At approximately 12:00am, the Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office was contacted regarding two missing parties who had summited LaPlata Peak at 4:00pm on Saturday 1/31/2015. The two mountaineers contacted family informing them of their summit and said they would return to the trailhead by 10:00pm. After failing to return to their vehicle the Sheriff’s Office was contacted. Currently, there are ground teams searching for the missing hikers and air support is en route.

For further information contact Sheriff John Spezze at 719-207-3199

Press Release
February 2, 2015
For Immediate Release

On January 31, 2015 the Chaffee County Sheriff’s Communication Center received information of two overdue hikers in the La Plata Peak area in northern Chaffee County.

According to family members Israel Valdovinos, age 33 and Danial Schreither, age 32, both from the Colorado Springs area, had summited La Plata Peak on Saturday afternoon. They called family members and stated that they would return to their vehicle, which was parked at the trailhead, by 10p Saturday night. When they were not heard from several hours later the Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office was contacted.

Chaffee County Search and Rescue North began a ground search early Sunday morning and located the hikers camp at about 10500 feet on La Plata Peak, but the two missing hikers were not there. Flight for Life was called for air support and at approximately 1pm crew members from Flight for Life spotted the hikers below the summit of La Plata Peak. Ground hikers from Chaffee SAR located the two hikers a short time later and verified that they were in fact the two missing hikers and that they were both in good physical condition.

Information gathered from the hikers revealed that the two had summited La Plata Peak as planned early on the afternoon of Saturday but soon after the weather took a bad turn resulting snow and heavy winds. Valdovinos and Schreither then dropped below the summit and took shelter in sparse trees where they were forced to spend the night. On Sunday morning the pair were then attempting to walk out of the area when they were contacted by search and rescue crews.

Valdovinos and Schreither were assisted in hiking out of the area by search and rescue crews. Both parties were extremely fatigued but other than that found to be in sound physical condition.

CHAFFEE COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE

Salida, Colorado

Press Release

February 10, 2015

For Immediate Release

On January 24, 2015 and again on January 31, 2015 several vehicles were reported to have been broken into while parked and unattended in the Old Monarch Pass area on U.S. Highway 50, approximately 18 miles west of Salida, Colorado.

Subsequent investigation revealed that 7 different vehicles had been broken into and had items such as electronics, credit cards and ski equipment stolen from the vehicles.

In response to these reports the Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office conducted a sting operation in an attempt to apprehend the individual(s) committing these acts, however this was unsuccessful.

Detectives were able to identify the suspects through surveillance footage after they began to pawn stolen items taken from the vehicles. The suspects were identified as James Brent Damon, dob 12/24/1968 and Georgie Louise Damon, also known as Georgie Louise Hand, dob 01/13/1972. The suspects are believed to be driving a 1998 white Ford Explorer with an unknown plate. Both parties have nationwide extradition warrants out of Mississippi and both have extensive criminal histories.

The Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office is in the process of seeking felony arrest warrants for both suspects.

CHAFFEE COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE
Salida, Colorado

Press Release
February 18, 2015
For Immediate Release

During the week of January 25, 2015 the Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office received information that a detentions deputy was possibly involved with introduction of contraband into the Chaffee County Detention Facility along with an allegation of a more serious charge.
The Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office immediately launched an internal investigation into this situation. As a result of that investigation Kecia Ortega, a 21 year old detentions deputy became the subject of the investigation.
On January 28, 2015 Kecia Ortega was placed on paid administrative leave and on January 30, 2015 Ortega was issued a summons for First Degree Official Misconduct, a class 2 misdemeanor. This summons was issued after referring the case to the District Attorney’s Office. The summons was based on violating rules of the detention facility which are covered under state statute. This was determined after Ortega was found to be taking cigarettes into the detention facility and giving them to an inmate.
Kecia Ortega resigned her position with the Chaffee County Sheriff’s after being charged criminally.
The other more serious allegation was unfounded and remains part of the internal investigation of the sheriff’s office.
On February 11, 2015 Ortega appeared in Chaffee County Court and pled guilty to the charge of First Degree Official Misconduct.

CHAFFEE COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE
Salida, Colorado

PRESS RELEASE
For release Thursday, February 19, 2015

A Poncha Springs resident was arrested Thursday morning after threatening to assault two Sheriff’s Deputies with a trailer hitch. The incident began around 8:35 Thursday morning, when deputies were dispatched to 600 Poncha Avenue in Poncha Springs for a burglary in progress. Upon their arrival, Deputy Joe McGuire and Deputy Rod Lane contacted the home owner, Richard (a.k.a. Ricky) Salazar, and a second subject who was at the residence. While investigating the incident, Deputies determined that there had not been a burglary, but this was in fact a dispute between a land lord (Salazar) and his tenant.

After explaining to Salazar the appropriate civil action to take, Salazar became irate with the deputies. Salazar immediately stooped and retrieved a trailer hitch from the floor of the garage where he stood. He aggressively approached the two deputies, raising the hitch to strike. Fearing for their lives, one deputy drew his firearm and ordered Salazar to drop the trailer hitch. Mr. Salazar complied; as deputies attempted to handcuff Salazar, he began to hostilely fight with them. Salazar was eventually handcuffed and secured in a patrol car.

Salazar, 30 years old, was charged with Criminal Attempt First Degree Assault on a Peace Officer, a class 3 felony and Resisting Arrest, a class 2 misdemeanor. He was booked into the Chaffee County Detention Center in lieu of a $10,000 bond.

The second subject was not charged in the incident.

CHAFFEE COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE

Salida, Colorado

PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release, Friday, March 6, 2015

Search and rescue volunteers assist stranded snowmobiler

At about 7:55 a.m., the Chaffee County Communications Center received a 911 call reporting that two snowmobiliers had become stranded overnight on Cottonwood Pass. One of the snowmobiliers had been able to hike out of the area in the early morning hours to summon help; the other was reported to still be stranded and suffering from exposure to the cold.

Members of the Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office and Chaffee County Emergency Medical Services responded to Spring Canyon Ranch, where they met with the reporting party, Taylor Wilmington, 25 years old, who reported that he and a friend, Sa’id Handel, also 25, had been snowmobiling the previous afternoon when their snowmobiles had become immersed in deep snow off the groomed trail. The two friends, both from Buena Vista, had departed from the Denny Creek Trailhead around 4:30 p.m. and were returning to the trailhead around sunset when they became stranded.

After working for several hours in a failed attempt to free both snowmobiles, the two began to focus on surviving the cold. After digging snow trenches for protection from the elements and building a fire, the two struggled to remain warm as temperatures plummeted.

Near morning, Wilmington hiked out to the main Cottonwood Pass Trail (County Road 306), where a passing snowmobiler gave him a ride back to his vehicle at the trailhead; he then drove to Spring Canyon Ranch to call for assistance.

Wilmington reported to Deputies that Handel was suffering frostbite on all four extremities and that he believed his core temperature was dangerously low.

Five members of Chaffee County Search and Rescue North, two Colorado Parks and Wildlife Rangers, and one Paramedic from Chaffee County EMS responded on snowmobiles to the area and located Handel at approximately 9:20 a.m.

Both Handel and Wilmington were checked for injuries by Chaffee County EMS and were found to be unharmed from their ordeal. A Flight for Life helicopter also responded to the area to assist with medical aid, but departed once it was determined that their services were not needed.