Texas fugitive found in Teller County hid in area for 11 months

A Texas fugitive found in Teller County is suspected of being in the area for last 11 months. 26-year-old Dakota Stewart was arrested Tuesday after the sheriff’s office and the U.S. Marshals office found out he was living in Florissant, Colorado. Original story here.

Stewart was put on Texas’ 10 most wanted sex offender list after failing to register as a sex offender. Reports say he was first spotted in April of 2016 on body camera video during a traffic stop in Woodland Park, but he was just a passenger in the car. Later, federal agents intercepted text messages sent by and to Stewart in Teller County.

His campsite in Florissant was described as “well established” but our drive-by to the address on Wednesday show it had since been cleaned up.

When confronted by law enforcement, Stewart is accused of telling agents his name was Demetrius Rasputin and that he was from Russia. When Stewart was taken to the Teller County jail, they confirmed his fingerprints matched those of Dakota Stewart.

The Teller County Sheriff’s office says this is just one case of bigger crime coming to the small community. Sheriff Jason Mikesell said, “people believe you go to the mountain to hide and that’s been the case in the past, but it doesn’t work here.”

Residents in the area echoed the Sheriff’s warning saying, “[criminals] feel that it’ll take them longer to get caught, maybe they’ll have some time to camp out.”

His mugshot is also catching attention. He’s seen brazenly grinning for his latest picture. Sheriff Mikesell says, “I think that’s the bravado he may have. He was trying to show that smugness because he can smile all he wants, but he’s still in jail.”

Stewart is now facing charges in Teller County including, attempt to influence a public servant, failure to register as sex offender, criminal impersonation, fugitive from justice.