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Dead moose sparks poaching concern, paraglider injured in crash, woman falls for $5,000 scam and more in Summit County Sheriff’s Office log

The Summit County Sheriff's Office also investigated last week after a hiker discovered a man's decomposing body near Officer's Gulch

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

The Summit County Sheriff’s Office responded to calls last week for a woman who lost $5,000 in a scam, a possible moose poaching, a hiker who discovered a decomposing body and multiple backcountry rescues.

The following incidents occurred between Tuesday, Oct. 1, and Sunday, Oct. 6, according to the weekly log of notable calls for service published by the Summit County Sheriff’s Office.

On Tuesday, Oct. 1, a woman reported that she was driving northbound on Colorado Highway 9 near the Green Mountain Reservoir when her sunroof was shattered by what she thought was a bullet. A deputy examined the vehicle and was unable to locate a bullet. It appeared that the sunroof was shattered by a rock. No injuries were reported, and no criminal activity was found.



Also Tuesday, a couple reported that a family of raccoons had gotten into their garage, which they had left open, and were eating chips, brown sugar, used cooking oil and dog food. The couple was able to get two of the raccoons out, but two of them climbed on a shelf and took a nap where the couple could not access them. Animal control was able to use a catchpole to capture both raccoons, walk them outside and release them back into the wild.

In another incident Tuesday, town of Breckenridge employees reported that a moose had been killed on Extension Mill Road. On scene, deputies found a small bull moose that had been killed during the moose hunting season. All the meat had been removed except one hind quarter. It was unknown if the moose was harvested by a hunter with a valid tag or if it was poached. The case was turned over to Colorado Parks and Wildlife for investigation.



On Wednesday, Oct. 2, deputies received a report of a man stumbling and incoherent in unincorporated Breckenridge. Deputies made contact with the man and called an ambulance to transport him to St. Anthony Summit Hospital for treatment due to the level of his intoxication.

Also Wednesday, Summit County Sheriff’s Office detectives executed a search warrant and arrested a Wildernest residence on felony charges of sexual assault on a juvenile.

The Sheriff’s Office also responded Wednesday when a homeowner reported seeing people on his security cameras walking around his property with flashlights. Deputies arrived on scene to find roofers who advised they were hired to do work at the property. The landowner confirmed that he did hire a roofing company to do work.

On Thursday, Oct. 3, a woman in unincorporated Silverthorne received a call from someone claiming to be with the Denver Police Department who told her there was a warrant out for her arrest because she did not show up for jury duty. She had been busy and thought it was possible she might have missed the notice in the mail. She was told they wanted her to come to Denver, but she didn’t want to make the drive. The purported “officer” then offered to clear her warrant if she paid the bond. She was instructed to use a Bitcoin ATM to send nearly $5,000, which she did. Afterward, she called the Denver Police Department to confirm receipt and confirm that her warrant was cleared but instead found out that she had been scammed and there was no warrant. Her bank was notified, but the Sheriff’s Office said it is not likely the money will be recovered.

Also Thursday, a property owner in unincorporated Breckenridge reported that an unknown person had tried to sell a vacant lot that he owns using a local real estate agent and the property was almost sold fraudulently. He said in the past few weeks he discovered that someone is again trying to sell his property by contacting local real estate agents to list the property, despite lacking the necessary documents to prove they own it. An investigation is ongoing.

On Friday, Oct. 4, a 73-year-old woman fell while hiking near Lily Pad Lake and broke her ankle. A group of deputies and Summit County Rescue Group volunteers extracted the woman to the trailhead. She was taken to St. Anthony Summit Hospital by ambulance for treatment.

Also Friday, deputies received a report of a vehicle going from house to house at second homes in the area. The reporting person was concerned that the people in the vehicle were scoping out homes for future break-ins. Deputies responded and found the vehicle. It belonged to a cleaning service that was putting flyers on the doors of residences. Nothing criminal was found.

In another incident Friday, a hiker discovered the decomposing body of a man near Officer’s Gulch. The area was searched for evidence and the body was turned over to the Summit County Coroner’s Office. An investigation is ongoing.

On Saturday, Oct. 5, a hiker called for help after he became cliffed out in a steep section near the summit of Quandary Peak, a 14,000-foot peak, where he didn’t feel comfortable moving up or down. A Flight for Life helicopter flew rescue crews to the top of the mountain, but due to the terrain the crews did not feel comfortable moving at night and camped on the peak overnight. Throughout the night, a mental health professional with the Sheriff’s Office’s System-wide Mental Assessment Response Team, or SMART, collaborated to help the man through the stressful situation. In the morning, the Summit County Rescue Group coordinated a helicopter hoist to get the man to safety.

On Sunday, Oct. 6, a paraglider crashed into Intuition Bowl on the north side of Peak 6 and could not move. Deputies and Summit County Rescue Group responded to the area and requested Flight for Life due to the severity of the paraglider’s injuries and the location of the crash. Flights were able to land near the subject and then shuttle rescuers to the scene. The patient was stabilized, carried to the helicopter and flown to St. Anthony Summit Hospital for treatment. 


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