Aspen woman pleads guilty to felony DUI

A 58-year-old Aspen woman pleaded guilty Monday to felony drunken driving and will face between two and six years in prison when she is sentenced in January.

Karen Sahr has been convicted of drunken driving four previous times in Pitkin County, a former prosecutor said after her latest arrest in August. Newspaper articles indicate she’s been convicted of DUI five previous times.

Sahr plans on attending in-patient treatment in Minnesota, said Richard Nedlin, her attorney. That’s why he asked that she not be sentenced until January.

Sahr’s latest arrest occurred after witnesses reported seeing her swerving on East Hyman Avenue and later hit a parked car, according to court documents. Before that, she rear-ended a Chevrolet Tahoe belonging to the Pitkin County Sheriff’s Office that was parked beside Highway 82 in March 2014 while driving drunk.

Colorado legislators changed the DUI law in August 2015 to allow those with three or more DUI convictions to be charged with a felony upon their fourth DUI arrest. Sahr’s previous DUI conviction — her fourth — occurred before the Legislature changed the law.

In other court news Monday:

A 39-year-old New Castle man already serving time at the state prison in Buena Vista pleaded guilty Monday to burglarizing an Aspen apartment in August 2015.

“I was high on heroin and I entered a residence,” Eric Reynolds said after a district court judge asked what he did to earn the felony burglary charge.

The burglary occurred at an apartment in the 900 block of East Hyman Avenue on Aug. 8, according to a police report. More than $7,200 worth of jewelry was stolen at the time.

Reynolds’ fingerprint was found at the scene, and he later told police he woke up in Aspen around the time of the burglary with a shopping bag full of jewelry but couldn’t remember where it came from.

Reynolds faces between two and six years in prison after Monday’s guilty plea.

jauslander@aspentimes.com