A handcuffed inmate facing an animal cruelty charge escaped from officers while being taken to court on Tuesday morning, fleeing in a stolen vehicle before being caught a short time later.
The escape happened at about 9:20 a.m. as Josh Dopheide was being taken from the Jefferson County Jail to Westminster Municipal Courts, according to a Westminster Police Department news release Tuesday.
Despite being handcuffed, Dopheide was able to steal a vehicle from a neighborhood near the courts, police said. The vehicle was spotted later near West 120th Avenue and Tejon Street. Dopheide then tried to steal another vehicle near East 120th Avenue and Colorado Boulevard, but was taken back into custody at about 10 a.m., police said.
Dopheide now faces charges of escape, motor vehicle theft, vehicular eluding, reckless driving and robbery, police said.
