Arrest of man suspected of stealing from Home Depot closes I-70 off-ramp in Wolcott for hours
Suspect 'espousing sovereign citizen ideology' refuses to comply with police instructions
The Interstate 70 westbound off-ramp in Wolcott closed around 7 p.m. on Tuesday for police activity.
Earlier in the evening, Avon police officers received a report from Home Depot that an individual had stolen materials from the home improvement store. Avon police officers determined a description of the vehicle, which was pulling a trailer that turned out to be full of construction materials.
A Colorado State Patrol vehicle spotted the vehicle in the Wolcott area and initiated a traffic stop. During the stop, officers made contact with the suspect, who “refused to comply with police instructions and commands,” said Greg Daly, Avon chief of police.
“He was espousing sovereign citizen ideology statements,” Daly said.
Multiple officers from Colorado State Patrol, Eagle County Sheriff’s Office and Avon police responded to the scene.
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“Avon police made multiple attempts to persuade the individual to exit from the vehicle. He refused to do that,” Daly said.
Eventually, officers were successful in extricating the driver from the vehicle “without incident,” Daly said.
The suspect was taken into custody and transported to the Eagle County Detention Facility, where he is facing multiple charges, including felony theft.
There was a passenger in the vehicle, who officers determined “was not complicit in the crime and has been cooperative in our current investigation,” Daly said.
Police activity had concluded by 9:21 p.m. and the off-ramp reopened to traffic.
