GRAND JUNCTION, CO — A 36-year-old Grand Junction woman was arrested Thursday after allegedly shoplifting with a minor and leaving multiple children unattended at her residence.
On May 14, 2026, Mesa County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a reported shoplifting incident at a business in the 3200 block of the I-70 Business Loop. Investigators reviewed surveillance footage, identified the suspects, and tracked the vehicle they used to leave the scene. After contacting the vehicle’s registered owner, deputies identified the primary suspect as Ashley Peters, 36, and determined at least one other individual in the footage was a minor.
Later that day, deputies contacted Peters during a traffic stop and took her into custody on an outstanding warrant for an unrelated case. During the arrest, deputies discovered that children in Peters’ care had been left unattended at her home for an extended period.
Deputies, alongside Child Protective Services, conducted a welfare check at the residence, and the children were taken into protective custody.
Peters was transported to the Mesa County Detention Facility and booked on the following charges related to this case:
- Theft (Less than $300) – Shoplifting (Petty Offense)
- Second-Degree Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor (Class 1 Misdemeanor)
- Child Abuse – Knowingly/Recklessly, No Injury (Three Counts, Class 2 Misdemeanor)