MESA COUNTY, CO — The Mesa County Sheriff’s Office reported a busy weekend, making several notable arrests between Thursday, September 10, and Sunday, September 13. Deputies responded to a variety of incidents across the county, including severe assaults, a wrong-way impaired driver carrying an infant, and suspects who barricaded themselves inside a home.
Below is a summary of the weekend’s notable arrests:
Wrong-Way DUI Driver Arrested with Infant in Vehicle
On Sunday, September 13, at approximately 2:45 a.m., dispatch received a REDDI (Report Every Dangerous/Drunk Driver Immediately) report regarding a vehicle traveling the wrong direction on Highway 50 near the Mesa-Delta county line.
Deputies located the vehicle in the Whitewater area and conducted a traffic stop. The driver, identified as Nicholas Ellis, 34, of Minnesota, failed roadside impairment tests. Deputies noted there were two passengers in the vehicle, including an infant.
Ellis was arrested and booked on the following charges:
- DUI – Drove Vehicle Under the Influence
- Child Abuse – Negligence, No Injury (Misdemeanor 2)
- Driving Under Restraint
- Drove Wrong Way on One-Way Street
Assault and Robbery of At-Risk Adult
On Saturday, September 12, deputies responded to an assault in the 200 block of Huffer Lane in Grand Junction. The adult victim had visible injuries, but the suspect had fled. A short time later, deputies located the suspect, Jason Gullion, 47, of Grand Junction, across town on Horizon Drive with blood on his clothing.
He was arrested and booked into the Mesa County Detention Facility on a $250 cash-only bond for:
- Crimes Against an At-Risk Person – Robbery (Felony 3)
- Second-Degree Motor Vehicle Theft (Felony 4)
- Crimes Against an At-Risk Person – Third-Degree Assault (Felony 6)
- Failure to Appear Warrant
Repeat Offender Arrested Following Clifton Assault
On Saturday evening, deputies responded to an assault in the 400 block of Topaz Drive in Clifton. The suspect fled in a vehicle but was quickly located near 32 Road and Hill Avenue.
Christina Miller, 21, of Clifton, was arrested and charged with Third-Degree Assault and Violation of a Protection Order. Authorities noted Miller had just been arrested earlier in the month following a separate assault involving a stun gun at a residence on the same block.
Barricaded Suspects Apprehended After Disturbance
Just after 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, September 13, neighbors reported a verbal disturbance in the 3200 block of D 1/2 Road in Clifton. While no physical altercation occurred, deputies discovered both individuals involved had active arrest warrants.
Heather Burdock, 40, and Kevin Rohracker, 43, initially refused to exit the residence. Deputies obtained a search warrant, made entry, and arrested both individuals.
- Burdock was charged with Obstructing a Peace Officer and was released Monday on a PR bond.
- Rohracker was charged with Obstructing a Peace Officer, Resisting Arrest, and a Theft warrant. He remains in jail on a $1,500 cash-only bond.
Additional Weekend Arrests
- Alvin Leva Martinez, 31: Arrested September 10 after deputies responded to an assault in progress on 32 Road in Clifton that left a victim hospitalized. Charged with Third-Degree Assault and Domestic Violence.
- Jason Fitzsimmons, 49: Arrested September 11 in the town of Mesa for violating a protection order two days prior. Charged with two counts of Violation of a Protection Order and Harassment (Telephone Threat/Obscene).