Among recent incidents reported by the Summit County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to two separate incidents where a gang of juveniles took an early-morning joy ride, consumed marijuana and beer---and forgot about social distancing.
An incident report said that deputies responded to an address in Bear Hollow Village just before 3 in the morning on Tuesday, the 7th.
A resident complained about the noise from 8 juveniles running in and out of a car. Deputies found the vehicle with a user amount of marijuana and several open beers can inside.
The driver, who was 15 years old, admitted he took the vehicle out without his mother’s permission. The other juveniles ranged in age up to 16 and 18.
In a second, similar incident just before 1 a.m. early on Sunday morning the 12th, an officer conducted a traffic stop at Kimball Junction. A vehicle was observed crossing Highway 224 from MacDonald’s without headlights and going down the wrong lanes on Ute Boulevard.
A search found raw marijuana and paraphernalia in the vehicle.
Two 18-year-old males were cited and released. A third 18—year-old was released. A 17-year-old male and 17-year-old female were returned to their respective parents.
We asked Department spokesman Lt. Andrew Wright what action officers would take when they found residents not only committing other criminal violations, but not following the county’s health order.
He said they understand that residents are feeling the effects of confinement.
“As time goes on, we recognize that people are becoming restless. They’re wanting to—we are social creatures so people want to get out and do things. We encourage people to get out and do things that are within the guidelines of the public health order issued by our Health Department. You can easily do those types of things. You can go out and go on bike rides, go on hikes, go on walks, do yard work. But you still have to maintain that social distancing. You cannot gather in groups.”
He said that officers prefer to educate about the health order, but can use their own discretion if violations became serious.
“If we’ve had contact with them, and they’re blatantly violating the order after we’ve warned them and encouraged them to follow the order, then of course we have the ability to escalate our enforcement. Luckily we haven’t had to do that. But in a couple of these cases where we’ve seen carloads of individuals, specifically juveniles, gathering in the wee hours of the morning, of course that’s concerning. And it’s a greater message to our community members, the parents, to really pay attention to what their children are doing. There’s no reason that juveniles should be out this time of morning ever, but especially now it’s important for our families to keep track of what their children are doing, so that we can keep everyone safe.”
Sheriff’s Lt. Andrew Wright.
Looking at some other incidents, a deputy responded on the night of the 12th to a report of an assault by coughing.
A clerk at the Blue Roof store at Silver Springs said a customer came in the store with a refill cup, and was advised the fountain drink area was closed, in line with the county’s health order.
The clerk said this was the second time the customer had appeared and been told about the fountain. This time, he became upset and coughed on the clerk.
The clerk got the suspect’s license plate number. The deputy tracked down the man, a 63-year-old Ranch Place resident, who admitted deliberately coughing on the clerk. He was cited for “propelling a bodily substance” and for a “threat of violence.”
Finally, a deputy reported that at 4 a.m. on the 13th, at Kimball Junction, a woman had driven her vehicle at a slow speed into the cement barriers in front of Smith’s. The report said the woman was incoherent, couldn’t follow the officer’s instructions and was not clothed from the waist down.
A search of the vehicle found several empty bottles of vanilla extract, which Lt. Wright said has a fairly high alcohol content.
The woman, a 47-year-old New Park resident was transported to a hospital and cited for DUI.
