It seems I am never short on stories about people getting caught because they can’t help but post information about their crimeon social media and it leads the police right to them. In a world where nobody feels relevant unless they have at least 10 likes for their latest post, it’s no wonder law enforcement agencies are using social media against us. One gentleman was wanted for Escape after climbing over the razor wire fence and getting away. He was on the run for over a year when he started posting on Facebook, which quickly led to his recapture. He had included selfies, which showed where he was staying and made references to Cancun, Mexico. Why not just post a map with an ‘I am here’ arrow pointing to your location? Whatever his original sentence was, he has made things much worse with this added Escape charge.
What is Escape in Larimer County?
The Colorado law definition of Fort Collins Escape – C.R.S. 18-8-208 – is:
(2) A person commits class 3 felony Escape if, while being in custody or confinement following conviction of a felony other than a class 1 or class 2 felony, he knowingly escapes from said custody or confinement.
(3) A person commits class 4 felony Escape if, while being in custody or confinement and held for or charged with but not convicted of a felony, he knowingly escapes from said custody or confinement.
(4) A person commits class 3 misdemeanor Escape if, while being in custody or confinement following conviction of a misdemeanor or petty offense or a violation of a municipal ordinance, he or she knowingly escapes from said place of custody or confinement.
(4.5) A person commits class 3 misdemeanor Escape if he or she has been committed to the division of youth corrections in the department of human services for a delinquent act, is over eighteen years of age, and escapes from a staff secure facility as defined in section 19-1-103 (101.5), C.R.S., other than a state-operated locked facility.
(5) A person commits class 1 petty Escape if, while being in custody or confinement and held for or charged with but not convicted of a misdemeanor or petty offense or violation of a municipal ordinance, he or she knowingly escapes from said custody or confinement.
(6) A person who knowingly escapes confinement while being confined pursuant to a commitment under article 8 of title 16, C.R.S.:
(a) Commits class 1 misdemeanor Escape if the person had been charged with a misdemeanor at the proceeding in which the person was committed;
(b) Commits class 1 misdemeanor Escape if the person had been charged with a felony at the proceeding in which the person was committed, if in the escape the person does not travel from the state of Colorado;
(c) Commits class 5 felony Escape if the person had been charged with a felony at the proceeding in which the person was committed, if in the escape the person travels outside of the state of Colorado.
As you can see, the penalty associated with Escape is based on if the escapee has been convicted or just charged and what level misdemeanor or felony they were convicted of or charged with in Fort Collins, Loveland, or Estes Park. While it is not known what the man from the story above was originally charged with, he was being held on felony charges and in his escape he left the state so he would most likely be facing a class 5 felony Escape charge.
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Most Common Forms of Larimer, Boulder, and Grand County Escape
In our experience, most of the Escape charges we have seen resulted from a person walking away from a Community Corrections facility in Larimer, Boulder, or Grand County. When a person gets a direct sentence to Community Corrections or is accepted to the Half Way House after spending time in prison, they are still technically considered confined. Even though the person has the ability to leave the facility and go to work, treatment, and other approved activities, if they do not come back to Comm. Corr. when instructed, it is considered an Escape.