A 33-year-old man was arrested Friday for suspicion of felony eluding and failing to stop for law enforcement following a collision with a travel trailer in which he fled from officers who were investigating, according to a Carson City Sheriff’s Office booking report.
Deputies arrested Jesus Zepeda-Topete at 6:08 p.m. According to the booking report, Carson City Sheriff’s Office deputies were advised that a vehicle had struck a travel trailer on North Edmonds at the intersection of Brown Street.
A deputy arrived at the intersection and made contacted the driver of the suspect vehicle, who was making incoherent sentences and had a can of Dust Off in his hand, the report states. The deputy reached into the vehicle to turn it off. The suspect then became coherent and made furtive movement toward the center console, the report states.
The deputy issued multiple commands for the suspect to stop reaching and to show his hands. The deputy also instructed the man to exit the vehicle. The deputy drew their service weapon and placed the driver at gunpoint. The driver then closed the door and started the vehicle.
The deputy continued to issue verbal commands to the driver and kept him at gunpoint. The vehicle then backed up and took off at a high rate of speed northbound on North Edmonds toward Gordon Street, the report states. The deputy activated their overhead emergency lights and siren and pursued the vehicle northbound on North Edmonds. The vehicle made a right turn to travel eastbound on Gordon Street toward Fairview. The vehicle failed to stop at or before the limit line at Gordon and North Edmonds.
When the deputy approached the intersection of Gordon and Fairview they observed a vehicle at the stop sign and a flow of traffic going northbound and southbound on Fairview. The deputy wasn’t able to determine which direction the suspect vehicle traveled after the intersection. The deputy terminated the pursuit and made contact with the owner of the travel trailer, the report states.
Deputies located the suspect vehicle in the west parking lot by a casino at 5:28 p.m. The vehicle was unoccupied at the time and the keys were located on the driver’s seat. Deputies secured the vehicle and attempted to locate the suspect at surrounding businesses. The suspect was not found in either of the two nearby casinos.
Camera footage was reviewed at one of the casinos. A sergeant stated she observed a larger male exit the vehicle wearing a light color t-shirt and was walking southbound on North Edmonds past Gordon Street. The male then went out of view of the camera.
Deputies learned the registered owner of the suspect vehicle and made contact with them in the 1800 block of North Edmonds. The owner informed the deputy of his apartment number and said there was a total of three people in the apartment and allowed deputies to see the people in his apartment, the report states.
A deputy observed a male wearing a black shirt and black shorts sitting on the couch. The male stated the other male was in the bathroom. The person opened the door to the bathroom to show deputies the male subject inside. Deputies were able to confirm the male subject on the floor of the bathroom matched the same body description as the male who fled the traffic accident.
At this time deputies began giving the suspect commands to stand up and exit the bathroom, which he did not comply. A deputy pointed their taser at the suspect, informing him if he didn’t comply with commands he would be tasered. The suspect stood up and exited the bathroom and was taken into custody.
The suspect stated he was scared and that he had changed his clothing after he recently got home from work and didn’t know anything about the truck, the report states. He stated he didn’t tell the owner of the truck anything when he got home.
The truck owner stated the suspect went into his room when he got home and that he parks the vehicle at a nearby market and gets rides to work from co-workers. The owner further stated he doesn’t know anything about what happened. The deputy released the vehicle back to the owner.
Deputies read the suspect his Miranda warning, which he said he understood. The man stated he was scared when law enforcement showed up. He stated he left the vehicle parked near one of the casinos and said he didn’t know what to do after he hit the travel trailer, according to the report.
The suspect stated he was tired from being in the sun all day and passed out and that he had been “dusting out” with Dust Off. He stated he doesn’t remember anything after he hit the travel trailer and stated he was just scared so he took off, according to the report.
The report notes the man to have a freshly trimmed face and there was cut hair all over his chest. Deputies also observed freshly cut hair in the bathroom. From the hallway of the apartment, deputies observed a blue pair of pants on the bed and a white t-shirt hanging over the laundry basket. These items of clothing matched the description of the video observed from the casino. Bail: $50,000.
In other arrests:
— A 23-year-old Carson City man was arrested Sunday for suspicion of residential burglary. Following an investigation, deputies arrested Phillip Maita. He was also booked for suspicion of possession of a controlled substance.
According to the booking report, deputies were called to the 400 block of East Park Street for a residential burglary. Deputies met with the reporting party who stated she was in her trailer when her front door opened and that Maita was standing outside. She stated she does not know him but has seen him in and out of the area recently.
She stated she asked her friend who he was. The friend said they knew a family member who lived in Dayton and had noticed the man had been loitering around the area. The neighbor said they told him to leave, according to the report.
During the recent incident, the suspect told the victim to come outside. She stated she saw a beer in his hand and felt uneasy about going outside. She stated she never went outside and that the suspect never came into her trailer. She stated the suspect started to ramble about calling his friends. She stated she pretended to be on the phone with the friends he was looking for and told him they were waiting for him at a casino. He left the area, she said.
She then told the deputy that this was not the first time he had been in the area that day, stating that at around 10 a.m. she left her trailer and went to the laundromat. She told her friend that she was leaving, but stated she left her trailer door open because it was hot outside.
She told deputies she left the screen door closed but it has no lock on it. At around 10:15 a.m. she got a call from her friend who lives nearby who stated they saw the suspect walking toward her trailer. The friend said she sent her husband to see what the man was doing. The husband stated the suspect had walked out from inside the trailer and stated he told the man not to come back and watched him walk away.
The victim stated she returned and checked her trailer and noticed that all of her money was still there and that some of her loose change had been stacked into “towers” then noticed that she had left three pairs of gray socks on her bed and now there were only two pairs. She stated the socks were her son’s and that she bought them for $8, describing the socks to the deputy.
The deputy asked why she didn’t call to report this crime when it happened earlier in the day. She stated she just thought the man would stay away, the report states. The suspect was located by a CCSO sergeant and detained for questioning while the investigating deputy continued gathering statements at the scene.
A deputy then got confirmation that there was enough probable cause to arrest the suspect. The investigating deputy with the victim advised the suspect had allegedly taken a pair of thick gray socks from the inside of the trailer. A deputy with the suspect indicated the suspect was actively wearing the socks that matched the description. The deputy placed the man into custody at 10:30 p.m. During the search incident, deputies located a dollar bill with two amphetamine pills.
The suspect was taken to jail and read his Miranda rights and he agreed to speak. The deputy asked where he got the gray socks he was wearing. The suspect stated that he had been given them by a woman on Park Street earlier in the day. He described the woman as his “auntie” and that he knows her well.
The deputy asked him what her name is. The suspect babbled but made no sense. The deputy asked if he ever went inside the white trailer on the property. He state “no.” He stated he knocked on the door to the trailer but never went inside.
The deputy asked why there was a witness who stated they watched him exit the trailer. He immediately asked “what’s the witness look like?” The suspect maintained his account that he had been given the socks and he never stole them from inside the white trailer. He was booked for suspicion of residential burglary and possession of a controlled substance. Bail: $30,000.
— A 50-year-old Carson City man was arrested Monday for a misdemeanor outside agency warrant out of Reno. Bail: $2,000.
— A 24-year-old Carson City woman was arrested Sunday for a misdemeanor warrant issued out of Carson City Justice Court for violation of a suspended sentence. Bail: $3,000 cash.
— A 35-year-old Carson City woman was arrested Sunday for a misdemeanor warrant. Bail: $500.
— A 33-year-old Carson City woman was arrested Sunday for misdemeanor violation of a temporary protection order for domestic violence Bail: $3,000.
— A 21-year-old California woman was arrested early Sunday for suspicion of DUI. According to the arrest report, deputies were dispatched at 2:50 a.m. to a report of a vehicle crash at Spooner Junction.
While on scene conducting traffic control, a deputy observed a pickup traveling eastbound on US-50 West approaching the intersection of US-50 West and South Carson Street. The report notes that the intersection was temporarily closed due to the collision and the Carson City Fire Department had a fire engine blocking all eastbound traffic from Highway 50 West.
As the truck approached, the suspect driver then attempted to go to the turn lane to travel north on South Carson Street. Due to the roadway being closed, the deputy as well as a fireman were attempting to direct the vehicle to the southbound exit to South Carson Street. The vehicle continued driving and attempted to enter the crash scene through the eastbound lane of US-50 West. When the vehicle stopped the deputy attempted to provide instructions to the driver on navigating the scene.
The driver rolled down her window when the deputy immediately observed the woman to have bloodshot and watery eyes. The deputy also smelled the odor of alcohol coming from the vehicle. When speaking to the driver she said she and her friends were at Lake Tahoe for the night and she was the designated driver. Based on the initial observation, the deputy instructed her to put the truck in park and turn it off. The deputy instructed the driver to exit the vehicle to speak.
The driver stated she had not been drinking as she was the designated driver. The deputy observed a purple wrist band on the woman’s wrist and asked her if she had been at a bar at Lake Tahoe. She said she had been to a bar but she had to have the wristband to enter the bar with her friends.
The deputy asked if she would be willing to participate in standardized field sobriety tests. She stated she would and showed clues of impairment on the tests. She was arrested for suspicion of DUI. Bail: $1,137.
— A 45-year-old Carson City man was arrested Saturday, 9:58 p.m. for suspicion of gross misdemeanor child neglect and DUI. According to the booking report, at 9:27 p.m. a deputy observed a pickup traveling southbound on North Carson Street near West Spear. The deputy was traveling northbound in their patrol vehicle when they observed the pickup, at what appeared to be less than one car length away from another vehicle.
The deputy turned around to observe the vehicle and while traveling behind the pickup the deputy observed the vehicle cross the median yellow line twice. The deputy conducted a traffic stop for following too close and failure to maintain lane. The traffic stop was at the intersection of 5th Street and Curry Street.
The deputy approached the vehicle and observed three adults including the driver and a juvenile. When speaking to the driver, the deputy observed bloodshot and watery eyes and slurred speech. The deputy asked the occupants if any of them had been drinking. They all initially said they had not been drinking, the report states.
One passenger was exhibiting slurred speech and appeared to be intoxicated as well. The passenger later admitted that he and the driver and his wife were at Lake Tahoe and that he and his wife were intoxicated and that the driver was the designated driver.
The passenger explained that the group was returning home. While the driver attempted to retrieve his insurance and registration, the deputy went to the driver side to speak with him. At the window the deputy did not smell the odor of alcohol coming from his person or the vehicle. However, the deputy did observe slurred speech and bloodshot and watery eyes. The deputy asked the driver to exit the vehicle, in which he complied. The deputy asked if he would be willing to participate in standardized field sobriety tests. He agreed and showed signs of impairment on the tests and was arrested for suspicion of driving under the influence and child neglect/endangerment, a gross misdemeanor offense. Bail: $3,637.
— A 37-year-old Carson City man was arrested Saturday, 9:38 p.m. for suspicion of resisting a public officer and destroying or injuring property of another valued from $25 to $250.
According to the booking report, deputies were dispatched to the 2000 block of Fieldcrest Drive for a welfare check. Dispatch advised there were multiple callers on a male subject, who reporting parties said they saw him screaming for help, vomiting and then punching a mailbox. Dispatch advised the reporting parties described the male as wearing a black tank top and black shorts.
Deputies arrived and identified the male subject by the clothing description given. Deputies approached the man and gave him commands to stop and to come over and talk. The man kept walking through the yard and went up to a door. A deputy told the man “sheriff’s office” but the man kept walking away from deputies up to a residential door and attempted to open the door. A deputy grabbed the man and detained him, placing him in handcuffs.
The deputy informed the man he was detained but the man still refused to identify himself. The deputy asked the man again what his name was. The man said he wouldn’t talk. The man then said “take me to jail.” The deputy asked the man for a third time what his name was and where he lived. The man told the deputy he wouldn’t tell him. The man continued to say “take me to jail” and “I’m not talking unless I have my attorney,” the report states.
The deputy could smell a strong odor of alcohol coming from his breath and when he was speaking, he would not identify himself and would not say where he lived.
The suspect is alleged to have punched and broke a mailbox that is not his property. The owner of the mailbox valued the repairs at $100 and wished to press charges for destroying their mailbox, the report states.
The suspect was arrested for the broken mailbox and resisting/obstructing an officer. He was taken to the hospital for medical clearance and then to jail. Bail: $800.
— A 32-year-old Carson City man was arrested Saturday, 6:20 p.m. in the area of East Winnie and Lone Mountain drive for possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia. Bail: $2,500.
— A 45-tear-old Carson City man was arrested Saturday for two misdemeanor contempt of court warrants. Bail: $6,000.
— A 52-year-old Carson City man was arrested Saturday for a misdemeanor contempt of court warrant out of Carson City Justice Court. Bail; $1,000 cash.
— A 20-year-old Dayton man was arrested Friday, 11:26 p.m. for suspicion of reckless driving with disregard of safety of person or property. According to the booking report, a CCSO deputy was traveling south on South Carson Street in the area of a coffee shop. As the deputy approached the area, they heard a loud noise of tires squealing and an engine revving at high RPMs. The deputy looked into the parking lot and observed a Corvette performing stunts in the parking lot.
The vehicle was turning its tires at a high revolution to the point that a large amount of smoke was coming from the rear tires. The deputy heard the engine running loudly. The vehicle’s back end was “fish tailing” and performing circles in the parking lot. The deputy observed the vehicle perform several radical circles with the backend quickly rotating around, the report states.
In the parking lot there were several parked cars, with two people who were watching the vehicle to the south and another person to the north who was trying to get into their own vehicle, the report states. The parking lot had several light posts lighting up the parking lot.
The driver’s actions were observed as reckless and dangerous, with people and property around it. The deputy activated their emergency lights and siren to stop the vehicle. The vehicle continued to perform stunt maneuvers in the parking lot as the deputy approached. The vehicle finally stopped facing east across several parking stalls. His actions are commonly known as doing “doughnuts” which is a stunt style of driving.
The deputy made contact with the driver and asked him to step out of the vehicle. Once out of the vehicle he was arrested for reckless driving. He was read his Miranda rights where he said he understood them and began to speak. He stated he understood what he was doing was dangerous. He stated the car belonged to his cousin and that he got the car for the night and was trying to have fun. He stated he was sorry and that he understood he could have hurt someone for his actions. Bail: $1,027.
— A 52-year-old Carson City man was arrested Saturday in the 4300 block of North Carson Street for a misdemeanor contempt of court warrant. Bail: $1,000 cash.
All information for the crime log (unless otherwise noted) is public information and supplied by the Carson City Sheriff’s Office through probable cause reports. All subjects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Go here to view our policy on naming defendants.
