Aspen cops respond to nearly 100 calls on New Year’s Eve
Local law enforcement officials were busy on New Year’s Eve with nearly 100 calls for service ranging from fake IDs to criminal mischief to an alleged sexual assault.
With Aspen lodges at near capacity and revelers out into the early-morning hours, Aspen Police Sgt. Rick Magnuson said Wednesday the officers responded to 97 calls over a 12-hour period starting at 5 p.m. Tuesday night.
The most serious was a report of a sexual assault at 1:42 a.m. Wednesday at a local bar. An 18-year-old Arkansas man was charged with a Class 3 felony. He posted $10,000 bond and is due back in Pitkin County court on Jan. 21.
The incident remains under investigation so Magnuson could not release much information.
“Public safety is out top priority and we staffed up heavily and we still had officers going from call to call to call,” Magnuson said. “We typically have four officers on the overnight shift, and we had nine last night.”
He said officers responded to calls including the unattended death of a 65-year-old man from out of town, two people who were suicidal, criminal mischief and stolen coats at local restaurants as well as trespassing and harassment calls.
Pitkin County deputies worked a vehicle crash that closed a section of Owl Creek Road for nearly two hours Wednesday afternoon when the snowfall picked up. No other information was available from the Sheriff’s Office on the accident or their New Year’s Eve calls.
Snowmass Village Police Chief Brian Olson said Wednesday afternoon that things were quiet in his jurisdiction and there were no serious incidents or issues.
