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Breckenridge man who assaulted taxi driver sentenced to five years in prison

Joseph Redmond, 39, was sentenced to five years in prison after pleading guilty to attempted second-degree assault stemming from a case in January.
Fifth Judicial District Attorney’s Office

BRECKENRIDGE — Joseph Redmond, 39, a Breckenridge resident who was convicted of assaulting a local taxi driver earlier this year, was sentenced to five years in prison during a hearing Monday at the Summit County Justice Center.

Just after midnight Jan. 8, officers with the Breckenridge Police Department and the Summit County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call regarding an assault on Tomahawk Lane in Breckenridge. On scene, officers recognized 86-year-old Robert Woodring, a local taxi driver known as “Taxi Bob,” sitting in his vehicle with blood on his face. Woodring told officers he was attacked and pointed them to the house where the assailant went.

Officers made contact with Redmond and escorted him out of the house. Redmond initially told police he was home all night before switching up his story and saying he got back 90 minutes earlier from snowboarding, according to court records. Officers reported that Redmond was “clearly highly intoxicated,” and he later admitted to spending the night drinking at a local bar.



When asked about Woodring, Redmond also gave conflicting answers about whether the taxi driver had driven him home that night. Redmond was placed in handcuffs and taken into custody.

Woodring, while being evaluated by a medical team, told police that he picked up Redmond from a bar against his better judgment. Woodring said he knew of Redmond from past incidences and didn’t want to drive him, only giving in after the insistence from bar employees who said Redmond was very intoxicated and they needed him taken away.



Woodring continued to say that when he got Redmond home, he was asleep in the back seat. Woodring attempted to remove him from the vehicle, at which point Redmond woke up and punched him in the face. Woodring fell to the ground, where Redmond kicked him in the head and continued punching him, according to the report.

Woodring suffered a concussion, facial bleeding and two black eyes from the attack.

Redmond was taken to the Summit County Jail, where detentions deputies said he was confrontational. Deputies tackled Redmond to the ground after noticing he was “squaring up” to fight. Redmond then spit into a deputy’s face before being locked up.

Redmond pleaded guilty in June to attempted second-degree assault, a class 5 felony. At Redmond’s hearing this week, District Judge Karen Romeo called the crime aggravated — noting the age of the victim and Redmond’s long criminal history. He was sentenced to five years in prison in addition to two years of parole and was granted 61 days of time served.

Woodring spoke at the hearing and told the court that he wouldn’t ever fully recover from the assault and told to Redmond, “You beat up an 86-year-old, disabled man.”

Senior Deputy District Attorney Lisa Hunt, who prosecuted the case, lauded Woodring’s handling of the situation from the attack through the adjudication of the case.

“Taxi Bob is an incredibly brave and strong member of the community, and courageously stood up for himself throughout the prosecution of the case,” Hunt said.

Criminal history

Redmond has a history of criminal behavior in the area. In 2013, he pleaded guilty to felony menacing and misdemeanor counts of harassment and violating a criminal protection order. In 2014, he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of obstructing government operations and pleaded guilty to another misdemeanor harassment charge later that year.

Redmond also has an outstanding case in which he allegedly violated the bond conditions set after his attack on Woodring. On July 17, Dillon Police Officers responded to a condominium complex on East La Bonte Street after a call reported a group of trespassers knocking pieces of a fence down in the parking lot.

According to the police report, Redmond was allegedly intoxicated and unable to replace the broke pieces of the fence. Redmond was placed under arrest and charged with a felony violation of bond conditions and a misdemeanor charge of violating a protection order. He’s scheduled to return to court for a preliminary hearing in the case Aug. 27.


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