‘Career criminal’ arrested for truck theft and drug paraphernalia, EPSO says
EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) - The El Paso County Sheriff's Office (EPSO) says a routine patrol led to the arrest of a prolific offender in Cimarron Hills.
On April 20th, the sheriff's office says a deputy was patrolling the area around the Econo-Lodge hotel in Cimarron Hills when they saw a white pickup truck leave the parking lot. The truck matched a recent crime report.
Deputies followed and pulled over the driver, who was identified as 28-year-old Mesha Hartman. Deputies soon discovered that the temporary license plate on the truck was fake, and the vehicle had been reported as stolen back in March.
In the truck, they allegedly found drug paraphernalia, narcotics, and a firearm.
The sheriff's office says Hartman was already on parole for prior weapons and narcotics violations.
“I am grateful for my deputy's attention to detail, ultimately leading to the arrest and getting a known career criminal off our streets,” said El Paso County Sheriff Joseph Roybal in a press release. “Mesha Hartman is another example of the Colorado legislature’s soft approach to offenders in our state. This individual was allowed back into our community and victimized more community members when, ultimately, they should have remained in prison and served the entirety of their sentence."
She was arrested and booked into the El Paso County jail and faces charges for allegedly possessing drugs, possessing a weapon as a previous offender, motor vehicle theft, and fictitious registration.
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