A naked man is suspected of breaking into a woman’s house, assaulting her and running from law enforcement Thursday in the Hermosa area, north of Durango.
Vicente Lucero, 26, was arrested and taken to Mercy Regional Medical Center for observations, said Dan Bender, spokesman with the La Plata County Sheriff’s Office.
Lucero will likely be charged with assault and felony burglary, among other charges, Bender said.
The Sheriff’s Office received a report at 1:55 p.m. of a naked man walking north on County Road 203 near County Road 202, about seven miles north of Durango.
A deputy responded and found Lucero walking nearby on County Road 202. The deputy called out to the man and asked him to stop, but instead, Lucero ran into a residence that was not his and locked the door behind him, Bender said.
The deputy waited for backup officers, but while waiting, he heard a woman scream, Bender said. The deputy broke a window and entered the house.
Lucero, meanwhile, fled on foot, Bender said.
The deputy contacted the woman inside the house and called for medics. Her injuries were not immediately known. She was taken to Mercy.
“We believe the man did not know the woman but did assault her,” Bender said.
The woman pointed in the direction that Lucero fled, and the deputy chased him. He eventually found Lucero’s tracks and tracked him to Hermosa Creek, where he found the man sitting on rocks in the creek, Bender said.
Other deputies arrived and negotiated with him for about 20 minutes.
“The man became agitated, and when deputies took him into custody, he resisted arrest,” Bender said. “They were finally able to handcuff him, and he was transported to Mercy for evaluation.
“He was naked when deputies contacted him, and he continued to be naked until he was taken into custody and given a towel,” Bender said.
It was unknown if Lucero is suspected of using drugs or alcohol.
shane@durangoherald.com