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Drugs, odd behavior mark man’s 4 arrests

Arresting Nicholas Olson is becoming a habit for the Aspen Police Department.

The 24-year-old transient has been arrested four times in less than two months after exhibiting often bizarre and possibly drug-fueled behavior, according to police.

His latest arrest occurred Monday when he allegedly stole a wallet from an Aspen hotel room and was found to be in possession of heroin when he was booked into the Pitkin County Jail, according to an affidavit filed in district court. Eight days before that, officers found him wearing nothing but a pair of headphones downtown and took him into custody when they say he made lewd, sexual remarks to a female officer.



In August, he was arrested on suspicion of methamphetamine possession after police say they found him inside a restaurant early in the morning, and he went to jail on the same charge in late July when officers say they saw him spinning in circles downtown and possibly “dropping his pants.”

Pitkin County Judge Erin Fernandez-Ely attempted to advise Olson of the charges Tuesday morning but postponed the proceeding after logistical issues arose. The advisement is scheduled for today.




Monday’s arrest occurred after a 58-year-old man called police just before 9 p.m. and reported that a man stole his wallet from his room at the Molly Gibson Lodge, according to the police report. The man later told officers he left his room to smoke a cigarette and saw Olson walk past him, the report said.

On his way back, the man saw Olson leave his room and asked him, “What did you steal from my room?” the report said.

“Olson took the wallet from his pocket and Olson gave it to (the man),” according to the report. “Olson tried to leave but (the man) grabbed Olson, ripping Olson’s sweatshirt.”

The man then took a Rockstar energy drink from Olson’s pocket in an attempt to see what else had been stolen from his room, the report said.

“As Olson pulled away and ran off, Johnson threw the can of Rockstar at Olson but missed,” according to the report. “(The man) said Olson picked up the can of Rockstar and threw it back at (the man) but Olson missed as well and ran off.”

An Aspen police officer later encountered Olson near the intersection of First and West Main streets and asked if he’d recently been at the Molly Gibson.

“Of course I have,” he said, according to the report. “I was just there.”

Olson said he’d been looking for half-smoked cigarettes he called “snipes” and found a wallet outside one of the lodge’s rooms, the report said.

“He told me he was planning on keeping any money and other things of value from it and tossing what he did not want,” according to the officer’s report.

The report said Olson said a man demanded the wallet back, grabbed and ripped his sweatshirt and Olson returned the wallet.

“He said he wanted to press charges for the assault on him and said the guy took one of his Rockstar energy drinks,” according to the report.

On the way to jail, the officer asked if Olson had any drugs or contraband on him, according to the report.

“No, I don’t do drugs,” he replied, the report said.

At the jail, a deputy discovered “suspicious powder in two containers” that later tested positive for heroin, according to the report.

Olson was charged with felony burglary, felony heroin possession, misdemeanor assault and petty offenses of theft and possession of drug paraphernalia.