Update 12/4/24 - The 15-year-old male was sentenced to 18 months at the Colorado Division of Youth Services (DYS) and sentenced to five days of detention which he has already served.  He will be on parole for 6 months after his release. 

Update 11/20/24 - The teen is set for a revocation of probation and  a Sentencing hearing on Dec. 4 at 11am.  He appeared via Webex and has been in custody at Grand Mesa since August 23. 

UPDATE 10/11/24 - The teen is set for a sentencing hearing and a revocation of probation hearing on November 20 at 10 am.

UPDATE 8/23/24 - Shortly after midnight the 15-year-old was arrested for charges of protection order violation, 1st degree criminal trespass, possession of a dangerous weapon, illegal consumption of ethyl alcohol, obstructing a peace officer, and theft of a bicycle. The juvenile was transported to Grand Mesa Youth Detention Center by Cortez Police. The teen was caught on two victim's security cameras which allowed officers to locate, identify, and detain him quickly.

UPDATE 5/16/24 - A plea hearing was held today for the detained 15-year-old and sentencing has been set for June 21, 2024.  The teen will continue to be held in Grand Mesa Youth Detention. 

Update 5/2/24 - 15 year old remains in Grand Mesa Detention Center.  Will appear in Montezuma Combined Courts on May 8th.

UPDATE 4/24/24 - (Edit - Six teens) teen suspects are being transported to Grand Mesa Youth Services Center in Grand Junction today. They will appear in court tomorrow (4/25) at 4pm by video for detention hearings. The investigation is ongoing.

On Friday night at about 10 pm, Cortez Police officers were dispatched to a call involving teens and a possible gun. The reports indicate that two groups of minors were in the area of 4th and South Market streets when one group of seven teens chased a group of five others.  It was discovered that the group of seven had a plan to rob the others as indicated by text messages.  The larger group was hiding and after a shared signal, began chasing the others. All involved were ages 14-17.

The victims indicated one suspect caught up with them after being separated from the rest of their group, and pointed a gun with a red dot sight at his chest.  He told them to "empty your pockets and give me everything you have."  

When asked if the victims feared for their lives, they said they did.  They handed over the backpack with his school Chromebook, wallet, clothes, homework, and an iPhone and they were told to run away or they would be shot.  The teens ran and then contacted police.  

Officers responded to a home near the scene after contact was made with teens who were disposing of homework that had the victim's name on it.  They recovered all of the stolen items from the home where the larger group had gathered after the robbery.

The gun was also recovered in the home and found with six live rounds of 380 caliber ammunition in the magazine.  After a check through dispatch, the gun was discovered to have been reported stolen from a vehicle in February on South Linden Street. Also missing from the vehicle was a knife and $220.00 cash.   Two of the aggressors had been contacted in January for looking into cars with flashlights in the middle of the night. One suspect admitted to 'car-hopping' (stealing from open cars).

The suspect identified by the victims was contacted at his home on South Madison and reports state that he had consumed and had possession of alcohol and had social media posts showing the weapon.  The teens and their parents signed a promise to appear and are scheduled for juvenile court tomorrow morning.  

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