Officers with the Grand Junction Police Department responded to a possible vandalism which occurred at St. Mary’s Hospital located at 2635 N 7th Street, at approximately 4:55 a.m. on 12/25/23. Dispatchers received several calls of tires being slashed on multiple vehicles in the parking lot of St. Mary’s Hospital. Through investigation, officers were able to identify a male suspected of the vandalism, and the vehicle he was driving. Between approximately 6:50 a.m. and 7:20 a.m., several calls for service came into dispatch about a vehicle, matching the description of the vandalism suspect’s vehicle, driving recklessly. After a short pursuit, officers with the Grand Junction Police Department, along with the Colorado State Patrol and Mesa County Sheriff’s Office, contacted the offending driver who stopped in the area of West Lake Park located at 325 W. Orchard Avenue. The driver was arrested and taken into custody. Christopher Mitchell (age 50) was remanded to the Mesa County Detention Facility on the following charges:
- Vehicular Eluding
- DUI
- Criminal Mischief
- Unlawful use of a Controlled Substance
- Reckless Driving
The Grand Junction Police Department believes this to be an isolated incident and there is no ongoing threat to the community. There were no known injuries sustained in this incident. This case remains under investigation and there is no further information at this time.