| CraigDailyPress.com (2024)

Colorado Supreme Court Chief Justice Brian D. Boatright has appointed Brittany A. Schneider to serve as chief judge in the 14th Judicial District, which includes Grand, Moffat and Routt counties.

Schneider will replace Michael A. “Mick” O’Hara III, who was appointed as a District Court judge in 2002 and has served as chief judge since January 2003. O’Hara will retire at the end of his current term on Jan. 14, 2025. A judicial-vacancy announcement will be made later this year.

“Chief Judge O’Hara has been an exemplary leader for his district and an important asset to the Judicial Department,” Boatright said. “We wish him the best in retirement, and look forward to working with Judge Schneider in her new capacity as chief judge.”

Schneider was raised on the Western Slope and practiced law for eight years before becoming a deputy district attorney in Moffat County. She was appointed in July 2020 as the Moffat County Court judge, and was appointed to the District Court in November 2023.

As chief judge, she will serve as the administrative head of the district, responsible for appointing the court executive, chief probation officer and clerk of court, assisting in personnel, financial and case-management duties, and seeing that the business of the courts and probation is conducted efficiently and effectively.

According to a press release from the Hayden Police Department, two Pueblo County residents were arrested on narcotics and firearm charges on Thursday.

An on-duty Hayden police officer received information from a Routt County Sheriff’s deputy about a vehicle traveling toward Hayden that was suspected of criminal activity.

The officer located the vehicle near 6th and Jefferson in Hayden and saw that it was speeding. Due to the traffic infraction, verified by the officer’s radar unit, the vehicle was stopped.

While the Hayden officer was tending to the traffic stop for speeding, a Routt County Sheriff’s Office canine deputy arrived and deployed a canine that is certified in narcotics detection. The canine alerted to the odor of illegal narcotics coming from the vehicle. Upon searching the vehicle, approximately 9 grams of suspected methamphetamine, various drug paraphernalia, a digital scale and a loaded 9 mm handgun with a defaced serial number were located.

April Ranck and Jonathan Chavira of Pueblo County, were arrested and booked into the Routt County Jail. The driver of the vehicle, Ranck, was charged with the distribution of methamphetamine while the passenger, Chavira, was charged with the distribution of methamphetamine, a special offender violation for possessing a firearm during drug distribution and possession of a defaced firearm.

“I am extremely grateful for the teamwork with the Routt County Sheriff’s Office, its deputies, and the canine program,” said Hayden Police Chief Scott Scurlock. “The partnership between the public safety agencies in this region of Colorado is second to none. This is a great example of how a simple traffic stop leads to the seizure of illegal narcotics and a firearm.”

Scurlock said that those who commit crimes travel the same roads as our community members, and police agencies often use traffic stops for seemingly minor violations as a legal means to contact these individuals and interdict criminal activity.

St. Patrick’s Day is this weekend and the Colorado Department of Transportation put out a news release on Wednesday about enforcement periods and aides for avoiding DUIs.

From March 14-20, CDOT will be supporting the Colorado State Patrol and 76 local law enforcement agencies for the St. Patrick’s Day DUI enforcement period. During this period, drivers may see sobriety checkpoints and additional law enforcement on duty that are dedicated to arresting impaired drivers, the release stated.

For opportunities and encouragement of safe rides, CDOT will be distributing rideshare credits at this Saturday’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Denver, partnering with AAA Colorado, the release stated.

For anybody attending a St. Patrick’s Day party, CDOT urges all guests to have a safe and sober ride home. Driving under the influence, from alcohol or other drugs, can lead to lane drifting, excessive speed, slowed reaction time and other issues, the release stated.

“It’s up to each of us to behave responsibly during this year’s St. Patrick’s Day celebration by planning to use alternate forms of transportation,” said Colonel Matthew Packard, chief of the CSP. “Luck won’t get you home safely if you’re impaired behind the wheel. Never get into a car with someone you suspect is intoxicated. One bad choice could lead to a DUI, license suspension, serious injury or even loss of life.”

TheNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)reports that 47 people were killed in DUI crashes over the St. Patrick’s Day holiday period in 2021. In Colorado during 2023, 276 DUI arrests were made during the St. Patrick’s Day enforcement period. This was a 60% increase from the year before, the release states.

Since 2024 began, there have been 24 impaired driving-related traffic deaths and 935 DUI arrests made during the heightened enforcement periods in Colorado. The recent Presidents Week enforcement period ended with 300 arrests across 81 agencies. The highest number of arrests goes to the Denver Police Department with 41, Colorado Springs Police Department with 33 and the Aurora Police Department with 21, the release stated.

“Driving under the influence of alcohol or cannabis is never responsible — DUI crashes are always preventable,” said Darrell Lingk, the Office of Transportation Safety Director of CDOT. “This is all the more reason to seek out public transportation, rideshare services or a designated driver this holiday weekend.”

Polyconsumption, the act of taking two different drugs at the same time,more commonly known as polydrug use, is on the rise. In this particular case, using alcohol and cannabis together enhances the effects of each substance, leading to symptoms that impair a person, the release stated, such as:

• Loss of coordination and problem-solving skills
• Distorted perception of time, distance and speed
• Slowed reaction time

Drivers under the influence ofmarijuana show only a modest impairment on actual road tests, users usually being able to compensate effectively. Users should wait at least three hours after the last intake of cannabis before driving. However, taking both substances together leads to worse impairment, as alcohol eliminates the ability of compensating strategies, a 2009 study from the National Library of Medicine showed.

Spring Events is the next DUI enforcement period from April 4-24, which is 21 straight days of high visibility enforcement, the release stated. For yearly impaired driving crash and fatality data in Colorado, visithttps://www.codot.gov/safety/traffic-safety/assets/fatal-crash-data-city-county.

For local law enforcement agency plans, visithttps://socgov.my.salesforce-sites.com/tsreports/and select an enforcement period.

Jayson Boebert, the ex-husband of U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert, appeared at the Garfield County Associate Courthouse in Rifle on Monday, facing multiple legal challenges and a temporary restraining order.

During the hearing, Rep. Boebert asked Rifle Judge Jonathan Pototsky to vacate the temporary restraining order, which was granted, stating that she and her ex-husband have come to a “strict” agreement that she hopes Jayson Boebert will follow.

The restraining order was originally sought by Rep. Boebert on Feb. 5 following two incidents in January involving Jayson Boebert. The first, on Jan. 6 at Miners Claim Restaurant in Silt, led to a police response after a report of “domestic violence abuse.” Jayson Boebert claimed Rep. Boebert had assaulted him, an allegation for which police found no evidence. Following the arrival of authorities, Jayson Boebert was forcibly escorted out of the restaurant, but was not detained.

A subsequent disturbance on Jan. 9 at the Boebert residence involved Jayson Boebert and his 18-year-old son, Tyler Boebert. The altercation, characterized by Jayson’s heavy alcohol consumption and possession of a firearm, resulted in his arrest and charges including prohibited use of a weapon, harassment and third-degree assault.

Jayson Boebert also faces charges from the January incidents, including disorderly conduct and obstruction of a peace officer.

The court session was continued due to recent developments involving Tyler Boebert, one of four children of Jayson Boebert and Rep. Boebert. Tyler Boebert was arrested on Feb. 27 in connection to vehicle trespass and property thefts in Rifle, facing 22 combined felony and misdemeanor charges.

A new protection order set out by the district attorney’s office was discussed and implemented on Monday, which bars Jayson Boebert from possessing firearms or consuming alcohol and drugs during the pendency of the case. The order does not restrict contact with Tyler Boebert, who is currently living with Jayson Boebert, according to Jayson Boebert’s defense.

Jayson Boebert is scheduled to return to court on April 15 as legal proceedings continue.

A 34-year-old man from Craig pleaded guilty Wednesday in Routt County Court to criminal mischief, a Class 5 felony, for extensive damage he caused to the Routt County jail earlier this month.

Under the plea deal, the other chargeagainst Glen Shaffer — one count of attempted escape — was dismissed. Additionally, Shaffer was sentenced to two years in prison on top of the three-year sentence he was serving.

Wednesday’s resolution brings to a close a case that erupted at the Routt County Detention Center on Feb. 18 when Shaffer, an inmate upset over not being able to make a phone call, went on a rampage that caused tens of thousands of dollars in damages to the facility.

Felonies are divided into six classes in Colorado with Class 6 being the lowest level. As part of his newest sentence, Shaffer was also ordered to pay $38,358 in restitution to the county, and the judge granted the prosecution an additional 35 days to supplement that figure based on actual costs, which after consulting with jail staff, has been capped at $50,000, according to the 14th Judicial District Attorney’s Office.

“I think this is a great result for Mr. Shaffer,” said Sean Brown, Shaffer’s defense attorney. “He acknowledges the damage he did to the county’s property, and he’s taking responsibility for that.”

Shaffer’s newest sentence will be served consecutively with his previous sentence, so he will have to finish serving out his first three-year sentence before he can start earning credit for the second.

On Feb. 7, Shaffer was convicted of two felonies — motor vehicle theft and theft. He was sentenced to three years in the state prison system and awaiting transfer from the Routt County jail to the Department of Corrections when the incident occurred Feb. 18.

Brown said the exact amount of prison time his client actually serves will be up to the Colorado Department of Corrections and based on a number of different factors.

Shortly before 3 p.m. Feb. 18, Shaffer erupted at the jail in an outburst that caused extensive damage to the facility. Detention center staff and deputies were called in to control Shaffer, who they said was armed with a pipe and “threatening to tear everything up,” according to the arrest affidavit.

Deputies reported seeing Shaffer breaking a two-pane glass window separating a restricted area known as Pod D from the facility’s main corridor. Shaffer also broke several windows in individual cells and a window between a dayroom and a bottom tier of jail cells in Pod D. The jail has five different pods that serve as living areas for different groups of inmates.

According to the affidavit, Shaffer went on to use his jail-issued mattress to protect himself from the broken glass in the window pane as he climbed through it to gain access to the main corridor that leads to each pod. The arrest report noted that all inmates were locked in their individual cells, as Shaffer used a yellow mop bucket to smash several more windows within the corridor.

The report says officers on the scene subdued Shaffer after forming an “entry crew” and shooting him with impact munitions fired from a 40-millimeter rifle and a bean bag shotgun. Shaffer was taken to the hospital for his injuries and charged with criminal mischief and attempted escape.

For the defense attorney, one key piece of the plea agreement was getting the attempted escape charge dropped.

“That was the greater of the two charges and, if convicted, (Shaffer) would have been looking at four to 12 years,” Brown said.

Prior to the plea agreement, Shaffer’s sister reached out to the Steamboat Pilot & Today trying to better explain what she and other family members believe happened at the jail that day. She attributed Shaffer’s destructive actions to a mental health crisis after his girlfriend did not show up for visiting hours as they had planned.

On Wednesday, Shaffer’s mom, Frinda Galey, relayed the same series of events, saying her son “was not in a good head space” after his girlfriend, who is typically very reliable, experienced car trouble and missed a planned visit.

Responding to questions about her reaction to her son’s sentence, Galey said she doesn’t dispute that her son damaged the jail, nor does she expect him to go unpunished for his actions.

“He did tear up the jail,” she said. “He’s got to pay the piper for that. That’s what that is. He did the damage. He’s got to pay for that. That’s fair enough.”

However, Galey added that she believes one of the reasons her son was experiencing such inner turmoil that day relates to a recent crime in which she says he was victimized and no one yet has been held accountable.

Shaffer was starting to serve a three-year sentence on previous theft charges when he went on the destructive tirade. Prior to being incarcerated for those charges, Galey said, Shaffer’s pickup truck was impounded, and Galey said it was left in an unsecured tow yard where someone broke into the vehicle and caused enough damage to destroy it.

In addition to some valuable coins her son had been collecting and other personal property, Galey said, the hardest part for her son was that the urn containing his father’s ashes was also taken.

Galey said she believes the theft against her son, which she doesn’t feel was ever investigated, led to his actions Feb. 18 when he tore up the jail. The mom also takes issue with the level of force and injuries her son suffered in the incident.

“He was victimized just like anybody else,” Galey said of the theft against her son. “You can call it karma if you want, but this isn’t karma. This is above karma. Like I said, all of his victims got everything back. Nothing was destroyed; nothing was broke. But everything he got back — or should I say didn’t get back — you know, he’s been blown off like he’s a dog. That’s what he says, ‘All I am is a dog to these people,’ and I don’t feel it’s right. Criminals have things that happen to them, too.”

Routt County Sheriff Doug Scherar said the alleged break-in of Shaffer’s pickup would have happened outside of Routt County and therefore not in the jurisdiction of the sheriff’s office. Had it been, Scherar said, his department would have investigated the allegations thoroughly.

Scherar added that the Routt County jail offers a variety of inmate services, including mental health services, Bible studies, substance abuse and addiction treatment and more. The sheriff said he cannot comment about what services Shaffer did or did not accept to maintain Shaffer’s privacy, but the sheriff said he takes pride in the different services they have been able to implement at the jail, many of which were put in place before they were mandated.

In terms of the Feb. 18 incident at the jail, Scherar said the biggest concerns for him and his staff were for the safety of the officers, other inmates and Shaffer himself.

Correction: This report has been updated to reflect that Glen Shaffer pleaded guilty to criminal mischief, which is a Class 5 felony.

The son of U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert was arrested by Rifle police around 2:30 p.m. Tuesday in connection to a string of vehicle trespass and property thefts in Rifle.

Tyler Jay Boebert, 18, is charged with four felony counts of criminal possession of identification documents pertaining to multiple victims, as well as one felony count that accuses him of conspiracy to commit a felony. In addition to these felony charges, Tyler Boebert is also facing over 15 other charges that range from misdemeanors to petty offenses.

The arrest adds to a number of legal troubles that the Boebert family has faced this new year, including two incidents on Jan. 6 and Jan. 9 involving Rep. Lauren Boebert and her ex-husband, Jayson Boebert.

The Jan. 9 incident led Silt Police to the Boebert residence regarding an altercation between Jayson Boebert and Tyler Boebert. The altercation involved heavy alcohol use by Jayson Boebert and possession of a firearm. Jayson Boebert was arrested and charged with prohibited use of a weapon, harassment, and assault in the third degree. He was also arrested for a warrant stemming from the Jan. 6 incident on charges which include disorderly conduct, third-degree trespass and obstruction of a peace officer.

In Feburary, Rep. Lauren Boebert was granted a temporary restraining order against Jayson Boebert.

A 34-year-old Craig man serving an 18-month sentence on burglary and theft charges could face additional jail time following an incident at the Routt County Detention Center on Sunday.

According to court documents, deputies with the Routt County Sheriff’s Office arrested Glen Shaffer shortly before 3 p.m. Sunday on charges of attempted escape and criminal mischief after he allegedly caused more than $20,000 worth of damage at the jail.

Detention center staff called deputies to assist in controlling Shaffer, who they said was armed with a pipe and “threatening to tear everything up,” according to the arrest affidavit. Upon arrival, deputies “observed (Shaffer) breaking a two-pane glass window” separating a restricted area, known as Pod D, with the facility’s main corridor.

He also allegedly broke several windows of individual cells and a window between a dayroom and a bottom tier of jail cells in Pod D. The jail has five different pods that serve as living areas for different groups of inmates.

According to the affidavit, Shaffer went on to use his jail-issued mattress “to protect himself from the broken glass in the window pane and he then climbed through the window to gain access to the main corridor that leads to each pod.”

The arrest document noted that all inmates were locked in their individual cells as Shaffer proceeded to use a yellow mop bucket to break several more windows within the corridor.

After trying to de-escalate the situation, deputies and officers on scene determined Shaffer to be a danger to the safety and security of the detention facility, according to the affidavit, and they formed an “entry crew” to attempt an arrest.

Shaffer was taken to the hospital for injuries sustained after the officers fired impact munitions from a 40-millimeter rifle and a bean bag shotgun to take him into custody.

“Prior to his transport to the hospital, Shaffer stated that he did not attempt to escape,” the affidavit noted.

Shaffer’s sister, Dana O’Keefe, said her family spoke to Shaffer following the incident at the jail, which she attributed to a mental health crisis after his girlfriend did not show up for visiting hours as they had planned.

“She did not come and so he was getting worried that something bad had happened,” O’Keefe said. “He talked to somebody to ask to use the phone and they told him no. They told him that it wasn’t their problem, and that is essentially when he went around and busted all of their windows in their pod.”

O’Keefe said the officers hit Shaffer about five times with impact munitions, causing injuries that required stitches in his leg.

She said her brother has been held in a padded pod by himself because of the incident with “limited to no phone access,” but in a conversation with a family member, Shaffer maintained that he was not trying to escape as “he was just trying to use the phone.”

According to Routt County Sheriff Doug Scherar, a web-based computer system supporting phones and tablets available for inmates to use was down Sunday, adding that staff “were busy in the jail and didn’t have time to get him out and get him access to the phone.”

At a court hearing Tuesday, a Routt County judge set Shaffer’s bond at $25,000 for the attempted escape and criminal mischief charges.

If he is convicted, the felony charges could add between 4-12 years to Shaffer’s 18-month sentence, which he received following an incident in July of last year where he was arrested after attempting to steal a pickup truck in the Steamboat Springs area.

Shaffer is scheduled to appear again in court Feb. 27.

The heavily armed man found dead by a self-inflicted gunshot wound at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park last year visited several websites about mass shootings, but authorities were unable to uncover a motive or why he seemingly changed his mind, a Garfield County Sheriff’s Office release states.

Diego Barajas-Medina, 20, was found dead by suicide Oct. 28 at the Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park with numerous firearms and improvised explosive devices. He was wearing black tactical clothing, body armor and wrote on one of the restroom walls “I’m not a killer, I just wanted to get in the cave,” the release states.

“The investigation was unable to uncover any motive for (Barajas-Medina) amassing such a lethal arsenal nor did it explain what happened to change his mind and why he did not follow through with whatever he was planning,” the release states. “Toxicology reports showed no traces of alcohol or other illegal drugs in his system.”

Barajas-Medina was a Roaring Fork Valley resident who graduated from Roaring Fork High School in 2021, the release states. Although he was described as being “a bit of a loner” he had no prior interactions with law enforcement and was not believed to be a threat to others.

Barajas-Medina’s home was searched in the early response to the Adventure Park call and was cleared. A search of his phone and computer “revealed he visited several sites discussing other mass shootings,” the release states. No connection between Barajas-Medina and the Adventure Park was found and there is no reason to believe he was working with others or as part of any group.

“There was nothing to indicate that he worked in concert with any other individual or group or that he was part of an extremist group nor did he operate at the behest of any drug cartel or terrorist group,” the release states.

Because of the explosive devices, some armed and others inert, Grand Junction Bomb Squad responded to the Adventure Park in October. The park closed for two days so law enforcement could investigate further and ensure there was no remaining threat to the public, the release states.

“These steps were necessary for the safety of the public at large as well as to determine the possible extent of (Barajas-Medina’s) criminal activity,” the release states.

Given the size of the arsenal Barajas-Medina had with him, it is very possible he could have “implemented an attack of devastating proportions on our community resulting in multiple injuries and possibly death to members of the public as well as first responders. As a community, we are fortunate and thankful that this did not happen.”

“The Garfield County Sheriff’s Office wishes to thank the employees and maintenance staff of the Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park for their patience and ongoing assistance with this investigation. We would also like to extend out thanks to the Grand Junction Bomb Squad, Garfield County All Hazard Response Team, the Carbondale Police Department, the Garfield County Coroner, Unites States Postal Inspectors, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation for their assistance with this investigation.”

Routt County authorities made five arrests Wednesday after a traffic stop led them to a large quantity of narcotics while executing search warrants on two properties in Hayden, according to the Routt County Sheriff’s Office.

The Sheriff’s Office reported Wednesday that deputies pulled a driver over for a traffic violation on Tuesday in Hayden and found 85 pills of suspected fentanyl. The driver, identified as Toby Mcleod, 47, was then arrested.

As a result of the traffic stop, the multi-jurisdiction All Crimes Enforcement Team along with Routt County sheriff’s deputies and Steamboat Springs and Hayden police officers obtained search warrants for two residences in Hayden on Wednesday.

The searches reportedly turned up more than 300 suspected fentanyl pills, over a half ounce of suspected methamphetamine, several grams of suspected cocaine and suspected fentanyl powder.

Four more people were arrested Wednesday including James Terry, 29; Sarah Gilroy, 42; Billy Zehner, 32, and Elyza Amrein, 21.

According to the Routt County Sheriff’s Office, Gilroy was cited and released from jail custody so she could make it to a rehab appointment, while the other four individuals were booked into the jail on drug-related charges and remained in custody as of 4 p.m. Wednesday.

Authorities in Routt County are investigating the deaths of a man and two children in Phippsburg as a murder-suicide.

According to the Routt County Sheriff’s Office, officers responded to a welfare check in the 21000 block of Fourth Avenue on Saturday and, upon entering the home, found the bodies of James “Jake” Hill, 45, and two children, ages 3 and 7.

The Sheriff’s Office said the deaths are being investigated as a murder-suicide and reported that authorities do not believe there is a known danger in the community at this time.

Anyone who might have information about this case is encouraged to contact the Sheriff’s Office at 970-870-5503 or 970-879-1090.