Bayfield town board member Alexis Hartz’s troubles in recent weeks have gone from dealing with calls for her resignation to a criminal complaint alleging harassment.
The mayor pro tem is accused of confronting and trying to intimidate Bayfield resident Lucy Stewart. Hartz was apparently upset with Stewart about a November letter signed by 50 residents, including Stewart, calling for Hartz’s resignation.
The letter, which came after a monthslong saga that led to Town Manager Katie Sickles’ resignation, cited an alleged improper election process and said Hartz’s presence on town board has had a negative impact on the town’s governance structure, among other complaints.
Stewart told The Durango Herald she filed harassment charges with the La Plata County Sheriff’s Office.
Sheriff’s Office spokesman Chris Burke said the matter started as a criminal mischief call, and Bayfield police took over as the main agency overseeing the matter. No arrests were made, but Bayfield police served Hartz with a harassment citation and told her not to come back to Stewart’s property.
According to Bayfield Police Department’s incident report, the harassment citation will be going to court.
Stewart said a court date is scheduled for sometime in January at the La Plata County Courthouse, but a representative with the court said it was still waiting for documentation before proceeding with a date.
When reached Wednesday morning, Hartz answered the phone, but the call was soon disconnected. She called back after that first attempt, but that call was also disconnected.
The Herald then left a voice message for Hartz and sent an email requesting an interview, but she did not respond as of Wednesday afternoon.
According to Stewart, Hartz went to her home on North Apaloosa Lane in Bayfield about 12:40 p.m. Dec. 4, and the two got into a heated exchange about the letter calling on Hartz to resign.
Stewart told the Herald she helped collect signatures for the letter. She returned home from a chiropractor appointment on Dec. 4 when the alleged incident with Hartz occurred.
She noticed a vehicle parked in her driveway and initially thought it may have belonged to a physical therapist she knew, so she parked in the street.
Stewart told police that Hartz confronted her about the letter and allegedly demanded she “explain herself” about why she wrote the letter. Stewart replied she was within her right to not explain anything to Hartz, then asked her to leave her property.
Hartz allegedly kept persisting. Stewart told police that Hartz grew angry when she again asked the mayor pro tem to leave.
Stewart told the Herald that Hartz eventually moved her vehicle to the street, thinking that was the end of it.
But it wasn’t over.
Hartz allegedly went back to Stewart to discuss the letter. Stewart told police that Hartz got right in her face.
“She was so angry, her lip was quivering, her eyes were pinpoint,” Stewart told the Herald. “Her face was just contorted with anger.”
Stewart told police she was worried Hartz would hit her. Stewart said she stepped back and again asked Hartz to leave before getting inside her van and locking the doors.
Stewart told police that she started moving her van, and Hartz hit the van and threw part of her body onto the van.
Stewart called 911 about 12:49 p.m. Officer Raymond Morlan with Bayfield police and Deputy Travis Woehrel with the La Plata County Sheriff’s Office responded to the call.
There was no visible damage to Stewart’s van, but two Pine River Pawn Shop employees told police they witnessed Hartz hitting the van with an “open palm several times,” according to the incident report.
The incident report said a camera on the side of the pawn shop reportedly captured video of the alleged incident, and that video was given to police.
Police paid a visit to Hartz the next morning.
According to the incident report, Hartz told police she went to Stewart’s home to confront her about the letter and accused Stewart of hitting her with her van, but did not call 911 nor report it to police. Stewart denied hitting Hartz with her van.
Bayfield police then advised Hartz they would be issuing her a citation for harassment and would issue a court date, and Hartz “became uncooperative” and refused to sign the citation, the incident report said.
At about 8:30 a.m. Dec. 5, Morlan and Bayfield Police Chief Michael Hoguet went to Hartz’s home on South Mesa Avenue to issue her a court summons for harassment.
mhollinshead@durangoherald.com
