On April 20, 2025, an El Paso County Sheriff’s Office patrol deputy conducted a routine check around the Econolodge Hotel on Panamint Court in the Cimarron Hills area of unincorporated El Paso County.
During the patrol check, deputies observed a white Chevrolet pickup truck leaving the parking lot, which matched a recent crime report.
As the vehicle drove past the deputies, they observed the vehicle’s license plate cover was dark-tinted and obscured the temporary license plate.
Deputies began following the vehicle and initiated a traffic stop near Nez Perce Drive and Peterson Road. The truck continued to drive at a low speed and pulled over multiple times on Peterson Road before finally stopping on Western Drive and Chiricahua Drive.
Once stopped, the driver was contacted by deputies and identified as 28-year-old Mesha Hartman.
It was confirmed the temporary license plate was fictitious, and the vehicle had been reported as stolen to the Colorado Springs Police Department in March of 2025.
A search of the vehicle was conducted, and multiple items of drug paraphernalia were discovered along with narcotics and a firearm.
Hartman was on Parole during the time of this incident, for prior weapons violations, narcotics violations, and motor vehicle thefts.
Mesha Hartman was taken into custody by El Paso County Sheriff’s Office deputies and booked into the El Paso County Jail for the following charges:
-Possession of a weapon by a Previous Offender
-Motor Vehicle Theft
-Possession of Drug Paraphernalia
-Fictitious Registration
“I am grateful for my deputy’s attention to detail, ultimately leading to the arrest and getting a known career criminal off our streets,” said El Paso County Sheriff Joseph Roybal. “Mesha Hartman is another example of the Colorado legislature’s soft approach to offenders in our state. This individual was allowed back into our community and victimized more community members when, ultimately, they should have remained in prison and served the entirety of their sentence.
“My deputies are working across our community to hold criminals accountable and hold the line against anti-public safety policies, which allow for the early release of prolific criminals. Criminals should know, if they come to the Pikes Peak region and victimize our community, we will hold them accountable.”
