After a Garfield County Sheriff’s Office employee’s Rifle-area residence was apparently broken into late last month, an investigation led to several recovered stolen items and drugs, resulting in multiple arrests.
Among the items recovered at a south Rifle home after an early morning raid over the weekend were a Sheriff’s Office computer, the victim’s wallet, firearm accessories including Glock magazines and multiple electronics.
On April 26, James Pattangall, 33, of Rifle, was arrested in connection to the burglary after security footage at the residence was used to identify him, according to the arrest affidavit.
It is alleged that Pattangall can be seen attempting to break in to the victim’s property on April 24, possibly trying to pry open or throw objects at windows and doors to gain entry, according to the affidavit.
Pattangall, who was contacted in a traffic stop, was also arrested on several outstanding warrants. He remains in custody at the Garfield County Jail on $50,000 bond, facing charges including second-degree burglary, trespassing and aggravated motor vehicle theft.
The day of Pattangall’s arrest, police received a call about suspicious activity that occurred at a storage unit complex close the site of the burglary. A female tenant was reportedly seen moving items into her units late at night and was asked to stop because the facility was closed at 2 a.m.
Police later searched the storage unit and found multiple stolen items belonging to the Garfield County Sheriff’s Office, states the affidavit.
Police estimated the stolen items found in the storage unit were valued at around $6,300.
Early the morning of May 4, Sheriff’s officers, along with the All Hazard’s Response Team, executed a search warrant at another residence in south Rifle to recover more of the stolen property, including a Garfield County Sheriff’s Office badge, according to the arrest affidavit.
Law enforcement teams arrived on scene at 3:59 a.m. and immediately began to give loud verbal commands for the occupants to come out, according to the affidavit.
One of the individuals in the residence immediately attempted to run through the house and jumped out of an open front window.
He attempted to flee to the back of the residence, but was met by deputies. He turned back around and jumped back through the window before deputies detained him, according to the affidavit.
Officers cleared the main residence, but two motor homes on the property were locked and officers had to forcibly breech the doors.
The female owner of the storage unit was also found hiding in one of the motor homes on the property, along with other suspects. A search of the motor home turned up 10.48 grams of methamphetamine, along with baggies, scales an other paraphernalia.
Brittany Echeverria, 29, was arrested and charged with unlawful distribution, manufacturing, dispensing or sale of a controlled substance, plus felony theft and accessory to a crime in the burglary case. She remains in the Garfield County Jail on $6,500 bond.
Also arrested on felony drug charges was Garrett Davidson-Ford, 31, of Rifle, who has since bonded out of jail. Two other male suspects were arrested on misdemeanor obstruction charges, according to the affidavit.
