Police briefs
Driver accused of crashing into bank faces DUI
A Woody Creek-area man remained in custody Wednesday at Pitkin County Jail following a Tuesday afternoon incident in which he allegedly drove his Jeep into a brick pillar at the drive-through of U.S. Bank and damaged another vehicle, as well.
During an advisement hearing on Wednesday, Judge Erin Fernandez-Ely set the bond for Michael Wayne Younger, 45, of Lower Bullwinkle Road, at $10,000 cash. He faces misdemeanor charges of DUI, careless driving and violation of a protection order in Pitkin County Court.
In an affidavit, Aspen Policeman Chance Williams wrote that he was called to the bank following a dispatch report of a motorist passing out behind the wheel and crashing. Once there, Williams said, he found an incoherent Younger along with a crying 43-year-old female passenger.
The passenger was not injured, but Younger, temporarily unable to walk, was taken to Aspen Valley Hospital. While there, he refused to submit to determine whether he had been using alcohol or drugs, the affidavit says.
At some point during the investigation, Younger told another policeman that he had taken Ambien, a prescription sleep-aid medication, earlier in the day, Williams wrote.
Man charged with slapping woman, spitting on policeman
A 22-year-old man was advised of charges in Pitkin County District Court on Wednesday following an early-morning incident at Aspen Brewing Co.’s East Hopkins Avenue tasting room.
Charles Joseph Kelly, who refused to give police his street address, faces felony charges of second-degree assault on a police officer and misdemeanor third-degree assault. He is accused of slapping a 19-year-old woman on both sides of her face using both hands, according to an affidavit from Aspen Policeman Adam Loudon, who was called to the scene at 1:45 a.m.
Kelly, a North Carolina native, allegedly caused a disturbance later at the Pitkin County Jail, hitting and kicking the windows and door of a holding cell.
“While placing Kelly into a restraint chair he spit on Aspen Police Officer Kirk Wheatley’s face,” Loudon reported in the affidavit.
In the arrest record, Kelly’s listed occupation is “naturalist/journalist.”
Fernandez-Ely set Kelly’s bond at $1,000 cash. He was released from jail on Wednesday.
Dog’s death appears to have been caused by a human
The Eagle County Sheriff’s Office and the Eagle Valley Humane Society are seeking the public’s help with a case involving a dog whose severed head was found in El Jebel’s Crown Mountain Park earlier this month.
A Sheriff’s Office news release issued Wednesday states that he injuries appear to have been caused by a human, not an animal, a view shared by two men interviewed by The Aspen Times who separately said they discovered the dog’s leg and head in the park on Aug. 3 and 4.
Veterinarians who examined the head said it appears the dog was approximately 2 to 3 years old and a breed of miniature pinscher or miniature pinscher mix. Its hair was described as short and black, with brown streaks around the ears.
Anyone with information about the dog’s death is urged to call the Sheriff’s Office at 970-328-8500, the Humane Society at 970-280-5738 or Eagle County Crime Stoppers at 970-328-7007.
Trial of man accused in jewelry theft to conclude today
Closing arguments in the trial of an Aspen jewelry seller accused of theft are expected to be held this morning on the top floor of the Pitkin County Courthouse.
Prosecutor Andrea Bryan of the District Attorney’s Office of the 9th Judicial District is arguing the case against William Evans, 78, who in 2011 was asked by Aspen hotelier Terry Butler to sell an expensive Hammerman gold-and-diamond bracelet for her, according to testimony this week.
In late February 2012, Evans reported to Aspen police that it was stolen from the back seat of his rental car. Butler cried foul, saying she had tried for several weeks to get Evans to return the item, to no avail.
Evans was arrested in April 2012 after allegedly making conflicting statements to investigators. He was charged with felony theft and a misdemeanor count of false reporting to authorities. He maintains that he is innocent of the charges and is represented by attorney Lawson Wills.
Senior Judge Thomas Ossola is presiding over the case. The trial resumes today at 8:30 a.m.
