~ by Trevor Phipps ~
Ever since the beginning of 2018, the Teller County Sheriff’s Office has been extremely active arresting suspects for serious crimes.
The changing of the marijuana laws has resulted in more felony arrests. Also, authorities have grappled with a growing onslaught of more violent criminals. A variety of theories persist for the reasons for this trend of more bad guys in Teller County, but the end result has forced law officers and citizens to remain more vigilant.
Last week, sheriff deputies ran into a rather unexpected and unusual situation, and their action may have halted a murder.
It all started on the night of April 26, when a concerned citizen contacted the sheriff’s office and said that they had seen what could possibly be a drunk driver on Hwy. 67.
Deputies immediately responded to the scene and began canvassing the county in order to find the vehicle. ATeller County detective then believed he noticed the suspect driving east on Hwy.24. As the detective got closer to the car, he noticed that the vehicle was weaving and driving erratically. He then pulled the motorist over and was shocked at what he then saw.
Once the detective contacted the driver of the car, he noticed that the man was intoxicated and that he had 45 caliber pistol sitting on his front seat. Upon further investigation, the authorities discovered that the man was an illegal immigrant with a Mexican identification and border crossing card. The detectives also discovered that the handgun on the passenger seat was purchased illegally.
The deputies then arrested Luis Nolberto Garcia Davalos for driving under the influence and possession of an illegal weapon. Once Davalos was in custody, the deputies found out that there was more to the story.
Davalos admitted that he had purchased the gun illegally and confessed that he intended to use it to kill another man.
During the early morning hours on Friday, April 27 detectives interrogated the suspect to find out more details. They were then able to learn more about Devalos’ plot to commit murder.
In the interview he had with detectives that morning, Davalos told authorities that the sheriff’s deputies had stopped him from killing a man in cold blood. Davalos went on and said that the next day he had planned on murdering a man who allegedly threatened to harm his family.
After the early morning interrogation, detectives then decided that they had enough evidence to charge Davalos with attempted first-degree murder along with his charges of driving under the influence and prohibited use of a weapon. Immigration and Customs Enforcement or ICE was contacted and they put a detainer on Davalos.
Currently, Davalos is in custody in Teller County Jail with a $100,000 bond for the three charges.
