A Durango man accused of drawing racist marks on a window in a construction project at Three Springs subdivision turned himself in to law enforcement Wednesday, only to be released by a judge Friday afternoon for lack of criminal history.
River Anderson, 18, had been in contact with law enforcement long before the Durango Police Department sought a warrant for his arrest, said DPD spokesman Ray Shupe. Law enforcement officials told Anderson they would get a warrant for his arrest, and once the warrant was issued, Anderson agreed to turn himself in at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Starbucks on north Main Avenue, Shupe said.
Anderson was booked into the La Plata County Jail. He was being held on $5,000 bail, but La Plata County Judge Dondi Osborne approved his release on his word that he’ll appear for his next scheduled court date June 14, when prosecutors are scheduled to file formal charges.
Arresting documents show law enforcement responded about 10:45 a.m. to Salt Brush Street in Three Springs for a report of three homes being vandalized. The properties are located at 14, 28 and 38 Salt Brush St. Law enforcement found vandalism at 14 and 28 Salt Brush St.
The building at 28 Salt Brush St. had a swastika, the word “crips” and “gang bang” and the number “5105” drawn in black marker on the windows. Other parts of the home were vandalized with “markings of a sexual nature,” police wrote in an affidavit. The vandal had also screwed slabs of drywall together and drove screws into a DeWalt stereo.
The building at 14 Salt Brush St. had drywall mud thrown against the walls.
Shupe didn’t have a cost estimate of damage to properties, but he said the owners were able to clean up most of the mess.
Surveillance footage obtained by Durango police showed Anderson walking past 28 Salt Brush St. and inside the garage of 38 Salt Brush St. Annie Woods, a public defender appointed to represent Anderson, questioned the evidence obtained by police in the affidavit, saying there was “no evidence he entered the buildings where the vandalism occurred.”
A Durango police officer admits in his affidavit that “there is no evidence Anderson entered 28 Salt Brush Street or 14 Salt Brush Street but has admitted to illegally entering and remaining in 38 Salt Brush Street.”
Anderson admitted he’d been inside 38 Salt Brush St. for about six or seven minutes, according to the affidavit. He’s a framer by trade and “was just looking at the construction of the home,” police wrote in arresting documents.
When asked about drywall mud and graffiti in the nearby buildings, Anderson denied knowledge.
Law enforcement accused the teen of criminal trespassing, a fifth-degree felony. If prosecutors find evidence to charge Anderson with criminal trespassing, he could face one to four years in prison and a fine of $1,000 to $100,000. No formal charges have been filed by prosecutors.
bhauff@durangoherald.com
