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Lost hikers lose shoes on Quandary, dog-poop throwing sparks investigation, psychedelic drugs spur rescue, and more according to Summit County Sheriff’s Office

The Summit County Sheriff's Office last week also responded to a crash on Interstate 70 that led to a fight in a Frisco yard, multiple search and rescue missions and more

The Summit County Sheriff's Office launched the Justice Files, a weekly roundup of notable calls to service, on Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024.
Summit County Sheriff’s Office/Courtesy photo

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to fix incorrect dates.

The Summit County Sheriff’s Office last week looked into a report of a neighbor throwing dog poop into a nearby lawn, responded to help hikers who lost their shoes at Quandary Peak and launched an investigation when a local woman lost $5,000 to a scam.

The following incidents occurred between Monday, March 24, and Saturday, March 29, according to the weekly log of notable calls for service published by the Summit County Sheriff’s Office.



On Monday, March 24, a recently evicted renter was moving out of their apartment when the electricity was turned off. He called for assistance saying he felt it was done on purpose by his landlord. Deputies contacted the landlord, who said the electricity shutoff had been scheduled ahead of time, and they weren’t aware that the renter was still living there. The issue was determined to be civil and not criminal.

Also Monday, a woman called for help when her boyfriend fell and injured his leg skiing near Cucumber Gulch. Deputies along with the Summit County Rescue Group located the couple and assisted them in returning to the trailhead. Upon investigation, it was determined that the man was not actually injured. The woman had called for help because she was under the influence of psychedelic mushrooms and other drugs, which caused her confusion about the situation. Deputies stayed with the couple until a sober ride arrived to pick them up. Both individuals were unharmed.



In another situation Monday, a bartender at a bar in unincorporated Dillon called deputies for assistance with a belligerent woman in her early 30s, who was screaming profanities and acting violently. The woman was intoxicated, yelling at her father and pushing and punching him when they went outside. When the deputies arrived on scene, the pair had already left but were quickly located at the nearby Summit Stage bus stop. The father explained that the daughter was upset about something that occurred decades ago, and often becomes angry and violent when she drinks alcohol. The woman was visibly intoxicated, yelled and cursed at the deputies and walked away from them, nearly into incoming traffic, several times. Deputies placed her under arrest, but she continued to argue with deputies and kicked one of them while being placed into the patrol car, according to the Sheriff’s Office. Deputies transported her to the Summit County jail on several charges including disorderly conduct and harassment. The father chose not to press charges for assault.

On Tuesday, March 25, an elderly Summit County resident received a text stating she had an outstanding toll charge she needed to pay or else she’d be arrested. She did not exchange any money or information but was concerned about the threat of being arrested. A deputy confirmed that the text was an attempt at fraud and advised her to block and delete the number it came from.

On Wednesday, March 26, deputies received a report of smoke in the area behind St. Anthony Summit Hospital. An investigation determined that it was a diesel engine letting off heavy smoke. No fire conditions were found.

Also Wednesday, a couple got into a verbal fight while driving on Interstate 70, which led to the man, who was driving, to swerve and ultimately crash the vehicle. The car rolled multiple times and landed on its roof. The couple self-extricated and ended up in a nearby backyard, where the fight became physical. The homeowner heard the commotion and witnessed the man assaulting the woman. The homeowner intervened with a handgun, which prompted the man to release the woman, who went into the home for safety. Deputies arrived and placed the man under arrest. Both the man and the woman were taken to the St. Anthony Summit Hospital for treatment for their injuries. The man was later taken to the Summit County jail on several charges, including assault, domestic violence, driving under the influence and reckless endangerment.


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On Friday, March 28, a homeowner reported seeing someone on her surveillance camera walking in her driveway and taking pictures. Deputies responded and found a man in the area taking pictures of a neighboring house for a real estate listing. He admitted to walking on the woman’s driveway, explaining that he had only gone about halfway up to the house to photograph it for the upcoming sale. The deputies determined that there was nothing criminal about his actions, and they informed the homeowner of their findings.

Also Friday, three hikers called for help after getting lost and stuck near treeline on Quandary Peak. Deputies and the Summit County Rescue Group responded to help the group. By the time the search team got on scene, the hikers had bushwhacked their way down to the road and were off the mountain. They all returned safely to the trailhead. There were no injuries but the hikers’ feet were cold as they had lost shoes while post-holing in the snow.

In another incident Friday, a woman in Wildernest reported being defrauded after receiving a phone call from someone claiming to be with the fraud department at Wells Fargo bank. The caller told her there was a pending fraudulent transaction on her account and instructed her to send $5,000 via Zelle to cancel out the transaction. Unfortunately, after she sent the money, the caller ceased communication with her, making her realize that she had been scammed. Deputies took a report and an investigation is ongoing.

On Saturday, March 29, a school bus driver reported an incident where a vehicle failed to stop while the bus’s stop sign was extended to allow children to safely exit. The bus driver got a description of the vehicle and its license plate number, so deputies were able to issue a court summons to the driver for failure to yield.

Also Saturday, two hikers in unincorporated Dillon called for help when they got stuck in waist-deep snow while hiking in the spring snow conditions. Deputies were able to locate the hikers using a drone. A search team including deputies and Summit County Rescue Group volunteers was sent in with snowshoes for the pair. With the help of snowshoes, the search team assisted the pair back to the trailhead. No injuries were reported.

In another incident Saturday, deputies responded to an apartment building in Dillon after a man reported his neighbor had attempted to choke him after the man went to his neighbor’s apartment to discuss the money he had paid for car repairs. Although he had given the neighbor the money a month ago, his car was still not fixed, and he wanted both his money and his car returned. Both men were intoxicated during the interaction and had conflicting accounts of what transpired. The neighbor claimed that he informed the man he would not repair the car until he received full payment and stated that the man still owed more than half of the total cost. He denied any physical altercation. Conversely, the man who called for help alleged that when he demanded his money and car back, the neighbor attacked him, placing his hands around his neck, making it difficult to breathe. He also claimed the neighbor threatened to kill him. Due to the conflicting stories, there was no probable cause for an arrest. An investigation is ongoing.

Deputies on Saturday also investigated after a woman in unincorporated Silverthorne reported that an unknown man has been throwing bags of dog poop into her driveway and yard over the past month. The woman had surveillance footage of the man and suspected a man who lived down the street. But deputies contacted the man she suspected and determined he did not match the person in the video. Further investigation of the neighborhood did not identify a suspect, but several neighbors mentioned that the woman often fails to pick up after her dog. One neighbor said there is an unknown man in the area that seems to be on a crusade against those who do not pick up after their dogs. Deputies informed the woman that she may be being targeted because she fails to pick up after her dog. An investigation is ongoing.

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