STEAMBOAT SPRINGS — Routt County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrested two people on Christmas Eve after two incidents in Oak Creek and Phippsburg.

Odell Rogers, 30, of the state of Nevada, and Chelsey Salazar, 35, of Oak Creek, were charged with second-degree assault, criminal attempt of vehicular assault, violation of bond conditions and unlawful possession of a controlled substance.

At about 4:20 p.m. Thursday, an off-duty Routt County Sheriff’s Office deputy, who lives in Phippsburg, called Routt County Communications and reported a 36-year-old man had suffered an injury to his hand, which the man said was the result of Rogers and Salazar jumping out of a Toyota 4Runner and attacking him with a knife.

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A witness, who was interviewed by deputies who responded to the report, said he was walking his dog at around 3:30 p.m. in Phippsburg when he saw a man walking and a Toyota 4Runner driving southbound down the same street. The witness said he saw the vehicle approach the alleged victim, swerve to the left and attempt to hit him, according to an affidavit filed in Routt County Court states.

The passenger in the vehicle, identified as Rogers in the affidavit, then jumped out of the passenger’s side of the vehicle and started to chase the victim. The man eventually gave up on the chase, got back into the car and the driver sped into a different alley, the affidavit states.

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The witness found a cellphone at the scene of the altercation and brought it to Lt. Ryan Adrian at the off-duty deputy’s house, where deputies were speaking with the alleged victim.

The witness told Adrian the suspect’s vehicle was parked at the intersection of Pine Street and Fifth Avenue in Phippsburg with a flat tire. Deputies responded and found Salazar and Rogers in a vehicle matching the description the witness provided.

Deputies interviewed Rogers, who said he was visiting Salazar from Nevada. Rogers told deputies the conversation between Salazar and the alleged victim was “unpleasant,” leading them to follow the man. Rogers said Salazar lost control of the car on slippery roads, which caused them to nearly hit the man.

The alleged victim told deputies an altercation between him and Salazar began at the Space Station gas station in Oak Creek. According to the affidavit, Salazar asked the man to buy marijuana at an Oak Creek dispensary, which he declined.

The man told deputies Rogers punched him in the face as the man walked back to his truck and then the man said Rogers reached into his vehicle and pulled out a big knife, swung it at him and caused a bleeding wound on his thumb. The man then drove to the off-duty deputy’s house, as he knew a law enforcement officer lived there.

Deputies attempted to interview Salazar, who they said was driving the vehicle, but she chose to invoke her Miranda rights.

Salazar was transported to Routt County Jail, where deputies found a scale with suspected drug residue, several varieties of pipes, several syringes and small baggies containing what they found to be about 4 grams of methamphetamine in her possession.

 

 

To reach Alison Berg, call 970-871-4229 or email aberg@SteamboatPilot.com.