Rayah Chowen, who is being held in La Plata County on suspicion of theft and other charges, is scheduled to appear in court in Montezuma County on Sept. 26 in an effort to resolve her cases in both counties and to consider inpatient treatment.
She appeared Thursday by video in 22nd Judicial District Court in Cortez.
Chowen was arrested May 7 at the National 9 Inn a day after police responded to Navajo Street, where they met with Jessica Espinoza and Ismael Flores, who reported that items had been stolen from their two vehicles. Both vehicles were locked, but the driver windows were cracked.
Espinoza reported a missing Chanel wallet valued at $200, two bank cards, a debit card, ID, SMI1 child support card and insurance cards. Flores reported that $80 in cash was missing.
Espinoza reported that her debit card had been used at Dollar General for $104.62. Officer Vance Carver then retrieved surveillance footage from the store, and an employee described the woman with the card as white with red hair and a tattoo over her right eye featured Roman numerals and a rose. He said she attempted to get cash back, but didn’t have the PIN to pull the money.
Espinoza’s card was also used at Maverik Gas Station for $39.48 and $7.07 and LivWell for $2. The surveillance from Maverik showed the same woman.
Officer Jacob Bourdon told Carver he believed the suspect to be Chowen. Her mother, Jessica Clark, confirmed that Chowen had the eye tattoo.
Officers then informed Hibbett Sports that a stolen card had been used at the store the day before, and an employee said the woman had had a neck tattoo and tattoo above her right eye, and the man, possibly in his 20s, had blond hair and wore an “astronaut-type of lucent jacket.”
The woman chose a pair of shoes, which the male paid for, and as they left, the employee said he noticed another female in their vehicle. He said the other woman had been in the store Saturday night with a man who was possibly in his 40s.
The officers also contacted High View Smoke Shop, Cloud 970 Vapor and Dairy Queen.
On May 7, Carver saw a vehicle that resembled the one from surveillance footage at the National 9 Inn. Carver learned that the hotel room was reserved under the name Hunter Griswold.
After calling Deputy Justin Wynn from the La Plata County Sheriff’s Office, Carver was told that Griswold and Chowen “have links together” and that Hunter might be armed.
Carver waited for cover units before attempting to enter the room.
The astronaut-type jacket was spotted inside the door, and drug paraphernalia was in “plain view in the room,” with tin foil with black residue on a chair. Chowen was in the room, along with a juvenile male and Dillon McCarthy.
Chowen told Carver the juvenile wore the jacket at Hibbetts and that she and Griswold accompanied him. Chowen also said the juvenile had taken the debit card and he was Griswold’s boyfriend. According to police, she later admitted that she knew the cards had been stolen.
Chowen was jailed in the Montezuma County Detention Center on suspicion of identity theft, contributing to the delinquency of a minor and theft of $300 to $1,000. She also had two warrants out for her arrest in La Plata and Montezuma counties.
The juvenile was taken to the Cortez Police Department on the charges of identity theft, first-degree criminal trespassing and theft of $300 to $1,000. He was taken to the county line and handed over to a La Plata deputy to be taken to his mother.
At the hotel, officers found a backpack with “financial devices” belonging to Espinoza and Brittany Hayes, as well as Espinoza’s Chanel bag. They also found an ID and Social Security card for Hayes and “unidentified bluish-green pills” in the bag.
Drugs found in the room were thought to include meth, mushrooms, fentanyl and marijuana. Carver said it was unclear who owned them.
Griswold was arrested later and had a disposition hearing Thursday morning. Her next court date is Sept. 12 at 11 a.m.
