MONTROSE, Colo.—A boozy outing in which two people tumbled off an abandoned four-story building has led to criminal charges against six people.
Montrose police say it’s fortunate no one died last week when a group of people aged 19 to 26 trespassed into an abandoned electrical plant.
Authorities say the group had been drinking, and that three people clambered up a catwalk but fell. Two of them fell several stories onto concrete, and one was left dangling by a backpack until police arrived.
Police have filed charges ranging from unlawful consumption of alcohol to unlawful entry against members of the group.
Investigators say group members crawled underneath a fence around the old plant. Then, some climbed up to a catwalk and were so drunk they didn’t notice a floor panel was missing.
“A couple panels on the catwalk were missing, so they just walked out into space,” police Cmdr. Gene Lillard said.
“They hit some of the structure falling down, which probably slowed them down. We’re fortunate nobody died.”
Among the people facing charges is 19-year-old Stephanie Pickett of Montrose. Pickett was airlifted early Friday to a Denver hospital for treatment of multiple fractures and faces charges of underage possession of alcohol and unlawful entry.
Police also expect to charge 23-year-old Rebecca Miller of Montrose. She suffered head and facial injuries.
The man left dangling by his backpack was 21-year-old Joshua Drown of Delta. He tumbled further after authorities arrived.
“They told him to stay still, and they’d use a ladder to come get him, but he wiggled free and landed on a beam,” Lillard said.
Drown wasn’t injured and was argumentative with rescuers, Lillard said.
Drown was arrested and booked into jail on suspicion of unlawful entry and providing alcohol to minors.
The abandoned plant is privately owned.
A fourth person allegedly on the property, Sean Gaetz, 23, of Montrose, was issued a summons on suspicion of unlawful entry.
Ricky Mitchell, 26, of Montrose, was arrested and booked on suspicion of second-degree criminal trespass, while Mitchell’s wife, Sarah, 20, was issued a summons for unlawful underage consumption of alcohol, according to Lillard.
Lillard authorities believe the Mitchells left the plant before police arrived.
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Information from: The Daily Sentinel,
