Thefts, Assaults, Drug Cartel Scares, and a Brush Fire Riddle the High Country
Trevor Phipps
Most years, the Teller County high country gets bombarded with the majority of its criminal activity during the peak of the tourism season, as more out-of-town folks visit the region. However, that trend did not hold true last summer as authorities reported a relatively quiet time, when it came to serious crime.
But the pre-holiday season has apparently made up for this lapse in serious law enforcement and first-responder emergency action, with a few major incidents occurring in recent weeks. Oddly enough, these incidents accelerated as soon as November hit the calendar. Some of the highlights included a significant late fall fire, leading to an extended closure of a main highway; a spree of thefts and an assault against a local law officer; a bizarre crime that targeted the property of a local utility company with certain equipment getting stolen and tampered with; and an alleged Venezuelan drug cartel attacking individuals, near our doorstep. And unfortunately, this may just serve as the beginning of a crime and disaster-ridden holiday season.
Crews Battle Out-of-Season Brush Fire
Every year, people who live in the high country get worried about forest fires during the summer time. Normally, the high risk season when it comes to wildfires starts in May or June and ends in August or September.
However, for the past two years this hasn’t been the case. Last year, a fire broke out west of Divide after a woman purposely burnt her house down that was getting foreclosed on by the bank.
This year, abnormally warm and dry weather has riddled the region and caused another late season fire to ignite. The region made it through the entire fire season without a major blaze until mid-November.
At around 4:30 p.m. on Nov. 14, the Teller County Sheriff’s Office released an alert stating that Hwy. 24 was closed both ways between Twin Rocks Road (west of Divide) to County Road 1 (in Florissant). The alert explained that the road was closed as crews worked to put out a brush fire that ignited west of Divide.
Just after the alert was sent, warning of the road closure, the sheriff’s office also placed a number of Teller County homes on pre-evacuation status. The pre-evacuation warning affected those living in the Highland Lakes subdivision and people living north of U.S. 24 between Cougar Canyon Point and Lower Twin Rocks Road.
The pre-evacuation status was then lifted at around 5:15 p.m. after crews were able to contain the five-acre brush fire. However, the highway remained closed due to the fire until around 4:30 a.m. the next Saturday morning. Authorities are unsure how the fire started.
Woodland Park Police Grapple with Walmart Burglary; One Suspect Still at Large
At around 9 a.m. on Nov. 13, the Woodland Park Police Department was alerted to a burglary in progress at the city’s Walmart. That morning police say 52-year-old Aimee Fooshee entered the Walmart store with a male accomplice. Shortly after entering the store, the duo attempted to steal what police called “a significant amount of merchandise.”
Police arrived to thwart the robbery attempt and a struggle ensued. After a brief scuffle, police arrested Fooshee on the following charges: 2nd degree assault on a police officer, unlawful possession of a controlled substance, resisting arrest and theft. She was booked into the Teller County Jail and her bond was set at $21,500.
However, while police were occupied in the altercation with Fooshee, the male suspect was able to flee from the area. The male suspect was not arrested immediately, but police say they have charges pending on him.
Wire Thieves Busted in Woodland Park
Near the end of October, police were alerted in the early morning hours about a rather bizarre crime taking place. At around 2:30 a.m. on Nov. 2, the Woodland Park Police Department received a phone call saying that several subjects were seen inside the fenced in yard that belongs to Core Electric, located off of Hwy. 67 on the north side of the city.
The caller stated that the suspects were stealing wire and other items from the facility. Several officers immediately responded to the scene and caught the suspects red-handed.
In the end, officers took a total of four suspects into custody. Jamey Hatch and Chanda Conklin from Golden joined Mason Eisenhand from Indian Hills and Darian Crider from Westminster in the high-profile arrest for felony and misdemeanor property crimes, as well as for drug charges.
Drug Cartel Activity Infiltrates Rural Areas Near Teller
A recent pair of crimes west of Teller County proved that Venezuelan cartel activity isn’t just a problem for Front Range cities. On Nov. 2, four suspects went to a party at a residence in Buena Vista and started assaulting and threatening at least one victim
According to a joint police report issued by the Salida and Buena Vista Police Departments, the victim then fled the scene and went to Salida. The four suspects attempted to follow the victim and eventually found their vehicle parked in front of a motel in Salida.
The four suspects then broke into the residence the car was parked in front of, but the victim wasn’t there. “The occupants inside this residence were attacked and held against their will for over twenty minutes, but they had no knowledge or relation to the initial victim from Buena Vista,” the police report stated.
Police were able to arrest one suspect, Daviler Ibarra, on several felony charges. However, police are still looking for Carlos Garcia Reyes (41) of Buena Vista and Wisan Ruiz (25), also, of Buena Vista in connection to the crimes.
Officials said that the alleged assailants were part of the Venezuelan drug cartel that made national news earlier this year due to crimes they committed in the Denver metro area. Authorities said that the three suspects could be somewhere just outside the Buena Vista/Salida area.
