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Police get tips on robbery suspect

Naomi Havlen
Aspen Times Staff Writer

Several people have called police with tips about the unknown man who robbed a woman in her apartment this weekend, but police say they are still following leads.

A computerized composite of the man who entered a woman’s Alpina House apartment in the wee hours of Saturday morning and jumped on top of her before grabbing her purse and fleeing was printed in Monday’s Aspen newspapers. Aspen Police Department Sgt. Steve Smith said he received three phone calls in response to the composite.

Once the police department has a few possible matches, they will hope to obtain photographs to see if the victim can select her attacker out of a photo lineup, Smith said. Until then, the police department will continue to pursue leads.



“Any sliver of information is helpful, so I’d still encourage people to call us,” Smith said. “If I’m not in, people could ask to talk to a shift supervisor or an officer in charge, and they’ll take that information and develop it as I would.”

The suspect is described as a white male with short brown hair, ranging from 5 feet 10 inches to 6 feet 2 inches tall, and weighing 150 to 160 pounds. The victim also said the suspect had a drawn or thin face.




The suspect was last seen running west along the 900 block of East Durant Avenue. Police canvassed the neighborhood for witnesses, finding several people who did hear the victim’s call for help, but didn’t call 911.

Smith said the victim came into the police department on Saturday night when her memory of the attack was still fresh, so police could walk her through a software program to develop the composite. The computer program contains different features that can be manipulated until they closely resemble the perpetrator’s appearance.

The victim was unharmed in the attack, and Smith said police have no information as of yet to indicate that her assailant was intoxicated. He said the victim didn’t indicate in her first interview that he was there to do anything but steal her purse.

Smith said he encourages residents to take steps for personal safety, like walking in lighted roadways, and having keys in hand when approaching cars or doors.

Anyone with information about the robbery is asked to call the Aspen Police Department at 920-5400.