Crime Briefs: Stolen earbuds turns into meth bust for Craig man
Two wrongs certainly don’t make a right, especially in the case of a Craig man who was arrested on multiple charges Sunday.
Around 7:30 p.m. Sunday evening, Craig police were dispatched to Walmart regarding a theft in progress.
An asset protection employee at the store reported the crime to dispatch, stating that a male party concealed an item, exited the store, and got into a blue 4-door pickup truck.
Upon leaving the parking lot, the truck was pulled over by Craig Police Department.
Following the traffic stop, police were able to confirm the identity of the male party through video provided by the asset protection employee. The male removed the earbuds, valued at $69, from the packaging and removed a security device as well before then placing the earbuds into his pocket.
The asset protection employee witnessed the male place the items into his pocket, and then confronted the man before he left the store. The man denied having any items and then entered his vehicle, leading to the traffic stop.
Police later found the ear buds in the door of the vehicle following the stop and also found a folded-up $5 bill in the passenger seat.
The male stated to police that the bill was his and it contained “meth,” according to the police affidavit.
K-9 Odin then arrived on scene and gave a positive alert to responding officers. The bill was seized, and the substance folded inside later tested positive for methamphetamine and weighed 1.3 grams, according to the arrest affidavit.
The male was booked into Moffat County Jail on a felony charge of unlawful possession of a controlled substance (methamphetamine), and a misdemeanor charge of theft. He was held on a $10,000 cash/surety bond.
The earbuds were returned to Walmart.
FLIPPING THEM THE BIRD
Sometimes giving someone the finger can lead to problems.
On Thursday, Jan. 9 around 5:45 p.m., Craig police received a call regarding a traffic complaint. In the complaint, the reporting party told dispatch that a small, white sedan went speeding past the vehicle and “used hand gestures” toward the vehicle, according to the arrest affidavit.
“The reporting party said they were traveling northbound on Haughey Road going up a steep hill and had to put the vehicle into 4×4 mode,” according to the arrest affidavit.
At that time, the small, white sedan sped by and, “flipped (the reporting party) off.”
The reporting party followed the vehicle to its destination and called in the address, saying they wanted to sign a formal complaint.
Craig police arrived on scene and knocked on the door of the residence where the small, white sedan was parked. A female came out and spoke with officers and said she was driving the car and had to pass the vehicle that was stopped on the hill.
The female stated that “she passed him and we flipped them off,” saying she was frustrated and if she had stopped on the hill behind the vehicle they wouldn’t have made it up the hill.
Following initial contact with the female, Craig police went back to the reporting party and told them that the female admitted to driving the vehicle and flipping them off. The reporting party told police it wasn’t a female, but a male driving the sedan.
Craig police then knocked on the door and spoke with the female, who changed her story and said that a male at the residence drove the vehicle “just up the hill” because she was too scared to drive it up the hill herself. Craig police asked the female to have the male come outside.
At that time, Craig police ran the male’s identification through the system and discovered that the male’s driving status was revoked.
The male then admitted to driving the vehicle and said he knew his license was revoked. The male was then placed into custody and booked into Moffat County Jail on a misdemeanor charge of driving under restraint, with a $750.00 cash/surety bond.
I’VE SEEN YOU BEFORE
Last week appeared to be a tough weekend for drivers without licenses in Craig, as a second male was arrested over the weekend for driving without a license.
On Sunday around 2:23 p.m., Craig police patrolled the area of West Victory Way and Colorado Highway 13 in Craig. While traveling westbound, an officer observed a silver SUV heading eastbound. Police recognized the driver and had prior knowledge that the driver did not have a valid driver’s license.
Dispatch ran a check on the male’s information and confirmed the license was revoked for three prior alcohol convictions, according to the arrest affidavit.
At that time, Craig police turned the vehicle around and found the vehicle at the Kum & Go on West Victory Way. Police observed the unoccupied SUV in the parking lot and contacted the male inside.
“The male told me he saw me when he passed me and admitted he was driving the vehicle,” the arrest affidavit says. “He told me he was not going to lie and that he was driving.”
Police asked the male if he had a driver’s license and the male admitted he did not.
The male was then placed into custody and booked into Moffat County Jail on a misdemeanor charge of driving under restraint (alcohol) with a cash/surety bond of $750.
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