Law enforcement is searching for a man who ran from deputies during a traffic stop Tuesday in the Grandview area in southeast Durango.
The man was identified as Abrien Lobato, 25. He was last seen wearing a white tank top, plaid-style pajama pants and a red hat that he may have tossed during a foot pursuit, said Sgt. Wes Doughty, with the La Plata County Sheriff’s Office.
“Some of our officers made a traffic stop in the Grandview area in Durango and recognized him as a wanted parole fugitive out of our area,” Doughty said. “(He) then took off on foot and they gave chase through the Grandview area.”
A reverse-911 call was sent to residents in the Grandview area advising them of the situation and providing them with a physical description of the suspect. Part of the purpose of the reverse-911 call was to warn residents in the event that Lobato tried to gain entry into a house.
“That was our concern, and that’s kind of why kept trying to snag him up,” Doughty said. “... We had several people calling in saying they had spotted him, but he was not located, unfortunately.”
The incident began about 1:20 p.m. and the search was called off about 3:40 p.m.
“We decided to call off the search just so we didn’t keep pushing him back and forth toward different residences,” Doughty said. “He is considered dangerous in the terms he has fought and run from law enforcement in the past. But there’s no direct threats to any residents in the area.”
Deputies were able to track Lobato’s foot tracks, but after a while they appeared to zigzag and cross one another, he said. Deputies also used a drone to try to find Lobato.
It was not immediately known why a deputy initiated a traffic stop. But as soon as the deputy tried to make the stop, it turned into a foot pursuit, Doughty said.
He said it is not the first time Lobato has run from law enforcement.
“He was arrested about a month or two ago on a similar warrant,” he said. “Unfortunately, he was released back out.”
If residents see Lobato, they are advised not to approach him but to call 911.
shane@durangoherald.com
