A driver suspected of eluding police and causing a collision Sunday evening in south Cortez has been cited with numerous charges by the Cortez Police Department.
According to an arrest affidavit, Griselda Edith Lobos was arrested on suspicion of vehicular eluding causing bodily injury, identity theft, vehicular assault, criminal possession of a financial device, criminal possession of identification document, reckless driving, speeding more than 40 mph over the limit, driving without a driver’s license, reckless endangerment and passing on a shoulder.
Lobos, 24, also had an active warrant for charges of credit card fraud, according to the arrest affidavit.
A male passenger, identified as Max Toledo-Rojas, was also arrested, according to the affidavit, which said he had an active warrant for alleged fraud. He and Lobos are married.
Formal charges have not been filed, according to 22nd Judicial District Attorney Matt Margeson. Filing of charges is scheduled for Nov. 4 in Montezuma County.
The crash occurred on U.S. Highway 160/491 at the southern edge of Cortez inside city limits.
Lobos was driving a Honda Crosstour with California plates southbound on Highway 160/491 when she crossed into the northbound lane and collided with a pickup truck, according to the arrest affidavit.
The car spun back into the southbound lane, hit a rock wall, then flipped onto its top.
Lobos and her husband, Toledo-Rojas, were taken to Southwest Memorial Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
The northbound pickup had three occupants, and the person in the back seat suffered broken ribs, said Assistant Chief Andy Brock. All three people in the truck were wearing seat belts and were examined at the hospital.
The incident began in the Mancos area when a Montezuma County Sheriff’s Office deputy attempted to pull over the vehicle for a suspected traffic infraction, Brock said.
The vehicle sped away west on Highway 160 and continued to speed through downtown Cortez, Brock said. Cortez police officers laid down spike strips, and the vehicle clipped the spikes with one tire, but continued south on to Highway 160/491.
Because of the high speeds, the vehicle was not chased by Cortez police officers for public safety reasons, Brock said.
The arrest affidavit provided more details about the incident.
Cortez police officer Vance Carver reported in the affidavit that as he prepared to set down spike strips on Main Street, another officer called in to report the suspect vehicle was traveling toward him at an estimated 100 mph.
“The vehicle made evasive maneuvers, and I was not able to tell if my stop sticks had a successful hit, but I believe they punctured the front right tire of the vehicle. The vehicle was traveling at an extremely high rate of speed,” Carver said.
During an interview at the hospital, Lobos spoke minimal English, Carver said, and required a Spanish interpreter. She asked to speak to a lawyer, and the interview ended.
Toledo-Rojas, 30, agreed to speak to officers. When asked why they fled when contacted by law enforcement in Mancos, Toledo-Rojas said “they were scared ... because they are immigrants, and were afraid we would take them back to their country,” according to the affidavit.
A Louis Vuitton bag found in the car had credit cards with names other than Lobos and Toledo-Rojas. Suspected fake identification cards were also found, according to the affidavit.
