Colorado Mesa University students may have been alarmed or intrigued by the police activity that happened a block away from CMU campus on Monday afternoon. A combination of Grand Junction Police Department and Mesa County Sheriff’s Office SWAT personnel congregated around the 1300 Block of Elm Avenue and at one point a number of students reported hearing the sound of an explosion. The events were set in motion from a stolen bike.
According to a statement issued by the GJPD, they were alerted on Monday morning that a bike used as bait had been stolen. The police were able to trace the bike to a house located in the 1300 Block of Elm Avenue.
Initial attempts to contact the occupants of the home were not successful. The criminal history of some of the suspects involved in the theft, a combined team of SWAT and GJPD entered the house on Monday afternoon with a search warrant.
During the operation, access to Elm Avenue was blocked off from 12th Street to 14th Street, and residents were asked to remain inside their homes.
According to the GJPD, the home was found to be unoccupied and the suspect wanted in relation to the theft remains at large. The GJPD identified the suspect as Robert Dattage.
Reportedly, Dattage, age 44, is wanted on charges of felony theft, criminal mischief and possession of burglary tools.
The GJPD encouraged anyone with information on the whereabouts of Dattage to call Crime Stoppers at (970)241-STOP, or non-emergency dispatch at (970)242-6707.
