Palisade Man Arrested for Kidnapping and Sexual Assault

MESA COUNTY, CO — A 40-year-old Palisade man was arrested Thursday evening in connection with a kidnapping and sexual assault investigation spanning from the Palisade Rim Trailhead to Vega Reservoir.

On June 4, at approximately 7:30 p.m., Mesa County Sheriff’s Office deputies were dispatched to a report of an overdue female in the area of the Colorado River and the Palisade Rim Trailhead. Shortly after, at 8:15 p.m., deputies responded to a report of a possible kidnapping and sexual assault from a female near Vega Reservoir on the Grand Mesa.

During the investigation, deputies determined the two incidents were connected. Deputies traveling on Highway 65 from Interstate 70 toward Mesa quickly located a vehicle matching the suspect description provided by the victim.

Authorities contacted the driver, identified as Dustin Peterson, 40, and initially arrested him on an active warrant from another jurisdiction. Following an overnight investigation, Peterson was booked into the Mesa County Detention Facility on the following charges:

Sexual Assault – Penetration/Deadly Weapon (Class 2 Felony)

Second-Degree Kidnapping (Class 4 Felony)

Menacing – Real/Simulated Weapon (Class 5 Felony)

Fugitive Other Jurisdiction Warrant

Investigators are asking anyone who may have witnessed suspicious activity at or around the Palisade Rim Trailhead on the evening of June 4 to contact Investigator Jenna Reed at (970) 244-3274. The investigation remains active.