The Montezuma County Sheriff’s Office on Oct. 3 arrested a wanted man who allegedly had led Cortez police officers on a car and foot chase before escaping into a canyon on the western edge of town.
The man, Robert Williams, who had an active warrant for his arrest, now faces charges including vehicular eluding, possession of weapons by a previous offender, obstructing a peace officer, reckless endangerment and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Williams, also called “Cowboy,” was first contacted about 10:39 p.m. Sept. 30 when officer Vance Carver of the Cortez Police Department spotted him driving a blue Dodge Caravan west on Main Street.
When Carver followed him into the Burger King drive-thru at 520 W. Main St., a car waiting at a pickup window forced Williams to a stop.
Carver approached the passenger side of the Caravan, where a woman later identified as Jacquelynn Jeffers was sitting. Williams held a hand and some hair – thought to be a wig – in front of his face in an apparent attempt to conceal his identity.
As Jeffers tried to follow Carver’s request to exit the vehicle, Williams accelerated to drive over the drive-thru curb, the incident report stated.
“The female could have easily been seriously injured at this time,” Carver said.
The vehicle high-centered on the curb and sprayed sparks across the ground. Once Williams got over the curb, he sped away, and Carver returned to his patrol car to pursue them.
Officer Kristin Cannon joined the pursuit, and the Caravan drove through the private, fenced-in lot of Maxwell Development and Construction at 19 South Broadway, breaking the lock and forcing open the gate. The vehicle crashed into a berm near a canyon ledge, bringing it to a stop.
Williams left the vehicle and began running into the canyon with Cannon and other officers in pursuit, but got away. On the trail Williams took, Sgt. Michael Moran found a Remington Arms .30-06 with a round in the chamber and two rounds in the magazine.
Williams has an extensive criminal history that includes multiple past felony convictions, according the Sheriff’s Office. These include falsifying information to a pawnbroker, motor vehicle theft, multiple trespassing, multiple dangerous drugs, weapon offenses, vehicular alluding, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, unlawful transport of firearms and felon in possession of firearms.
His driver’s license is also revoked, and a protection order states he “shall not possess or consume alcoholic beverages or controlled substances.”
While searching the Dodge, police found methamphetamine pipes, several edged weapons, a .223 magazine loaded with 22 rounds, other ammunition, a Hatfield 12-gauge shotgun, a Radical Firearms RF-15 multi-caliber rifle, marijuana, Bird Dog Whiskey and items that had been believed to have been stolen in the county.
They also found documents belonging to Larry Cushman, Diane Broadus, Darrell Davis (deceased) and Gwen Deantonio (deceased).
Williams also may face charges of criminal possession of an identification document, a protection order violation, second-degree criminal trespass, criminal mischief, possession of an open alcohol container in a motor vehicle and driving with a revoked driver’s license.
Williams’ hearing on bond and return filing of charges is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 26, at 9 a.m.
