by Eric Mullens
WALSENBURG — Third Judicial District Attorney Henry Solano told the World Journal Monday that he had signed three arrest warrants for current Huerfano Jail inmates charging them with attempted escape.
Huerfano Sheriff Bruce Newman said Monday afternoon, following the brief, but successful escape from jail by Jesse Ninahualpa on Sunday evening August 26, a shake down of all jail cells was done by detention staff and an approximate three foot diameter hole knocked through a cinder block wall was discovered in a cell.
The cell in question was occupied by first degree murder suspect Benjamin Heiple, 63, and Hipolito Perez, 68, who has been incarcerated since August 14 on a DUI charge. Heiple has been jailed since his arrest on May 31.
Also charged with the class three misdemeanor of attempted escape was Victor Salazar, who has been jailed since June 6, 2017 on first degree murder charges and other felonies.
According to Sheriff Newman, if an individual has been convicted of a felony and escapes from a local jail or prison following the conviction, the charge of escape or attempted escape is a felony count. In the case of a county jail detainee who has not been convicted of a felony and is awaiting trial, the escape or attempted escape charge is a misdemeanor.
No bond information regarding the new charges against the trio was immediately available.
Illegal pot grow busted Tuesday:
Huerfano County deputies executed a search warrant at a residence in Dakota Campground Tuesday morning and took one subject into custody. Sheriff Newman said 30 year old Michael Bloom was arrested on charges of offenses related to marijuana and marijuana concentrate and on charges of possession of firearms by a convicted felon.
Bloom allegedly had 15 very large marijuana plants growing on his leased trailer space, three plants over the state legal limit and during execution of the warrant two assault rifles and a handgun were also seized from a gun safe under the suspect’s control.
Bloom was taken into custody without incident and bond information was not immediately available.
