Rayah Chowen will fly to South Carolina to attend inpatient treatment after Hurricane Helene has passed, according to information provided Thursday in 22nd Judicial District Courts.
Chowen, who appeared in court via Webex from the La Plata County Jail, was originally supposed to fly to South Carolina on Thursday, but her flight was canceled because of the hurricane.
Chowen was arrested in May for alleged identity theft, contributing to the delinquency of a minor and theft of $300 to $1,000. She had two active warrants in La Plata County at the time of her arrest.
Her attorney said they were working to resolve her cases in Montezuma and La Plata counties. She is expected to have a new representation by the end of the month.
Judge William Furse set Chowen’s next court date to Oct. 24 at 9:30 a.m.
Chowen was arrested after Cortez Police Department was called about reports of theft from two vehicles in Cortez. A Chanel wallet, two bank cards, a debit card, SMI1 child-support card, cash and insurance cards were reported missing from the vehicles. The items were reported missing May 6.
Chowen was arrested on May 7 at the National 9 Inn.
Unique face tattoos were seen in the Dollar General security footage, allowing law enforcement to identify Chowen. According to the police reports, she used the stolen debit card at the Dollar General store, Maverik Gas Station and LivWell. Police also investigated potential usage at Hibbett Sports, High View Smoke Shop, Cloud 970 Vapor and Dairy Queen.
At Hibbett Sports, an employee told police that a woman who matched Chowen’s description and a man, possibly in his 20s, had bought a pair of shoes with a stolen card the day before. He told police that the man was wearing a “astronaut-type of lucent jacket.”
He said that as the two left, he noticed there was another woman in their car waiting for them. She was later identified as Hunter Griswold.
Chowen, Dillon McCarthy and a minor were arrested at the National 9 Inn after police found a vehicle that matched the description of the suspect’s vehicle from surveillance footage. The minor was allegedly the one who had stolen the items from the vehicles the day before, and the jacket he wore to Hibbett was found in the hotel room.
In the hotel room, officers found drug paraphernalia and substances thought to include meth, mushrooms, fentanyl and marijuana, but said it was unclear who the drugs belonged to.
Griswold, who was reportedly dating the minor, was arrested later.
