On July 16, 2020, our Communications Center received a call from a CDOT employee who just spoke to a male party driving a white sports utility vehicle. The male party told him his family was being tortured and drove off. The CDOT employee began following him in his vehicle and witnessed him driving erratically while relaying direction of travel information to our Communications Center.
 
At approximately 1750 hours, deputies located the suspect near the intersection of Highway 24 and Soap Weed Road and a pursuit was initiated after the suspect failed to stop. The suspect continued to drive dangerously and continually crossed into the opposing lane of traffic driving at a high rate of speed. His actions were causing an extreme danger to the public. We requested the assistance of the Colorado State Patrol (CSP) and they immediately arrived to assist.

As CSP was setting up the stop sticks, deputies were also trying to funnel the suspect off of Highway 24 to avoid a major head on collision. At one point the suspect drove around two patrol vehicles and drove straight toward the CSP Trooper who was setting up the stop sticks. At this point, one of our sergeants used his vehicle to hit the suspect’s to keep him from hitting the CSP Trooper who was standing on the side of the road. The sergeant was successful in stopping the suspect's vehicle.

Our Investigations Division responded to begin an investigation along with the Colorado State Patrol’s Major Accident Unit.

The suspect, Arthur Tyrone Espinoza (DOB: 11/09/1977), was arrested and booked into the El Paso County Jail on the following charges:

Attempted First Degree Murder of a Peace Officer,
Vehicular Eluding, Reckless Endangerment, DUID, 
Reckless Driving, Driving Under Revocation, and
Parole Violation. 

We would like to thank the Colorado State Patrol for their assistance in this incident.