GRAND JUNCTION, CO — An 18-year-old Colorado Mesa University (CMU) student is facing numerous felony and misdemeanor charges—including domestic violence and possessing a firearm on campus—following a dispute in a university dormitory early Sunday morning.
On Sunday, September 6, at approximately 3:20 a.m., Grand Junction Police Department officers responded to a report of a possible domestic dispute between two students in the 1200 block of Houston Walk. While officers initially did not find probable cause for an arrest, new information provided at 5:40 p.m. prompted them to reopen the investigation.
Investigators determined that the suspect, identified as Derick Sievertsen, 18, had been allowed into the dorm building but entered the female victim’s room without her consent. A verbal dispute quickly escalated into a physical altercation, during which Sievertsen allegedly took the victim’s phone to prevent her from calling for help. The altercation ended and Sievertsen fled when the victim’s roommates woke up and intervened.
After developing probable cause for his arrest, officers obtained a search warrant based on information that Sievertsen had access to a firearm on campus. During the search of his property, officers located a gun, suspected cocaine, alcohol, and identification cards belonging to another person.
The Grand Junction Police Department noted this was an isolated incident with no ongoing threat to the community. CMU administration was involved in the investigation and immediately suspended Sievertsen.
He was arrested and booked into the Mesa County Detention Facility on the following charges:
- First-Degree Criminal Trespass of an Inhabited Dwelling
- Weapon Possession on School Grounds – Firearm
- Possession of a Schedule I/II Controlled Substance
- Obstruction of Telephone or Telegraph Service
- Criminal Possession of an ID Document
- Possession of Drug Paraphernalia
- Minor in Possession of Alcohol
- Domestic Violence
Authorities expressed gratitude to the individual who came forward with the additional information that led to the arrest, reminding the community to always report suspicious activity.