GRAND JUNCTION, CO — Mesa County Sheriff’s Office deputies made a series of arrests on Tuesday, August 25, including a parolee found with a large variety of dangerous drugs and two men involved in separate domestic violence incidents.
Below is a summary of the Tuesday arrests:
Parolee Arrested with Extensive Drug Stash on Local Trail
At approximately 11:20 a.m., deputies responded to complaints from Orchard Mesa residents regarding unauthorized campers in an area south of Rainbow Drive. Upon arrival, deputies located a motorcycle registered to Nathan Davidson on a local trail system marked strictly for non-motorized vehicles above the Gunnison River.
Deputies contacted Davidson, 43, who is currently reported as unhoused, in the area. During the encounter, deputies located multiple prescription pills not prescribed to Davidson, suspected to be Percocet, oxycodone, and lurasidone. A further search revealed suspected mushrooms, ayahuasca, crack, cocaine, and methamphetamine.
Davidson, who is currently on parole and has three prior convictions for felony possession of dangerous drugs, was booked into the Mesa County Detention Facility on the following charges:
- Possession of a Controlled Substance with 3+ Priors (Felony 4)
- Unlawful Conduct on Public Property (Petty Offense)
- Possession of Drug Paraphernalia (Petty Offense)
Orchard Mesa Domestic Assault and Strangulation
Later that evening, at approximately 6:30 p.m., deputies responded to a report of an assault in Orchard Mesa. Investigators quickly identified Gene Clark, Jr., 59, of Grand Junction, as the suspect. He was taken into custody without incident. Authorities noted that Clark had previously been arrested on domestic violence-related charges in January 2026.
Clark was booked into the Mesa County Detention Facility on the following charges:
- Second-Degree Assault – Intent to Cause Serious Bodily Injury by Strangulation (Felony 4)
- Criminal Mischief – $2,000 to $5,000 (Felony 6)
- Third-Degree Assault (Misdemeanor 1)
- Obstruction of Telephone or Telegraph Service (Misdemeanor 1)
- Violation of a Protection Order (Misdemeanor 1)
- Domestic Violence (Sentence Enhancer)
Property Damage and Hit-and-Run Investigation
Around 11:00 p.m., deputies responded to a reported verbal disturbance in the 2800 block of Morningside Court. During the investigation, deputies identified Jesse Esqueda, 30, of Grand Junction, as the suspect responsible for damaging personal property.
While deputies were still on the scene, Esqueda returned to the area driving a vehicle with noticeable damage. The Colorado State Patrol was notified and subsequently launched a separate investigation into Esqueda for suspected impaired driving and involvement in a hit-and-run incident.
Esqueda was arrested by deputies and booked into the Mesa County Detention Facility on the following charges:
- Second-Degree Criminal Tampering (Misdemeanor 2)
- Domestic Violence (Sentence Enhancer)