Criminal Mischief in Fort Collins | ‘Wore’ Is Not An Insult

A woman could be charged with Criminal Mischief after keying the misspelled word wore on a car.
A woman could be charged with Criminal Mischief after keying the misspelled word wore on a car.
Image Credit: Pixabay – kaboompics

I don’t know if we in Larimer County have just become to reliant on spell check, or if a mistake was just made in the passion of the moment, but misspelling an insult truly does take the sting out of it for your target. For example, a woman was recently arrested for Criminal Mischief after vandalizing the cars of her boyfriend and friend, whom she thought to be having an affair. According to the news report, she slashed the tires and keyed both the cars, going as far as scratching the word ‘wore’ on the woman’s vehicle. Through amazing detective work, police assumed the accused meant to put an ‘h’ in the word and therefore decided on the motive for the crime. The woman was charged with two counts of Criminal Mischief.

What is Criminal Mischief in Larimer County?

The Colorado definition of Criminal Mischief – C.R.S. 18-4-501 – is:

A person commits criminal mischief when he or she knowingly damages the real or personal property of one or more other persons, including property owned by the person jointly with another person or property owned by the person in which another person has a possessory or proprietary interest, in the course of a single criminal episode.

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Because the woman is accused of causing damage to both her boyfriend and her friend’s car, she would be charged with this crime. Criminal Mischief can be charged as a misdemeanor or felony in Larimer, Boulder, or Grand County, based on the amount of damage caused:

Class of Crime Aggregate Damage of Property Harmed
Class 3 Misdemeanor Criminal Mischief Less than $300
Class 2 Misdemeanor Criminal Mischief $300 to $749
Class 1 Misdemeanor Criminal Mischief $750 to $999
Class 6 Felony Criminal Mischief $1,000 to $4,999
Class 5 Felony Criminal Mischief $5,000 to $19,999
Class 4 Felony Criminal Mischief $20,000 to $99,999
Class 3 Felony Criminal Mischief $100,000 to $999,999
Class 2 Felony Criminal Mischief $1,000,000 or more

The news story did not contain the aggregate damage the woman allegedly caused, but knowing the ridiculous cost of tires and bodywork for vehicles, I’m assuming she will be facing felony level charges. Of course, this increases the likelihood she may be spending some time in the Larimer County Jail.

If you or someone you love has been charged with Criminal Mischief in Fort Collins, Loveland, or Estes Park, be smart, exercise your right to remain silent, and call the best criminal defense attorneys from the O’Malley Law Office at 970-658-0007 to schedule a free consultation. Together, we can protect your future.