Steamboat Pilot & Today

Steamboat Springs — An 18-year-old man was ticketed for theft and possession of drugs and an illegal weapon after allegedly stealing a glass smoking pipe from a local store and being chased by the business's owner.
Dustin Coulter, of Garden City, Kan., was cited Sunday for possession of an illegal weapon, possession of less than 1 ounce of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia and theft of less than $500 after an incident that started at Go Ask Alice, Assistant Chief of Police Art Fiebing said.
The owner of Go Ask Alice, Greg Anaple, told police that at 2:05 p.m. Sunday, Coulter, and three other people were in his store and asked to see three pipes from the display case, Fiebing said. Anaple placed the pipes on top of the glass case. One of the four, a girl, then allegedly asked Anaple to show her another item, which caused him to turn around and lose site of the pipes. When he turned back around, one pipe was missing and Coulter was leaving the store, Fiebing said.
Police said Anaple questioned the three remaining in his store, who said they didn't know Coulter. He then reportedly told them to leave, locked the store, and got in his car to chase Coulter.
Coulter stopped his red Ford Explorer in the Clark's Market parking lot, followed by Anaple, according to police. Anaple got out of his car and approached Coulter.
Anaple reportedly tried to detain Coulter, but wasn't able to. Coulter then ran away and Anaple took the keys from the Explorer and called the police.
Steamboat Springs police officers identified four suspects who matched Anaple's descriptions on County Road 129, including Coulter.
Also, police officers searched the Explorer, which was in Coulter's name, and reportedly found three clear bags containing marijuana, a spring-action knife, a .22 caliber rifle, a pipe with suspected marijuana residue in it and a bottle of Southern Comfort bourbon.
The stolen pipe wasn't recovered and Coulter said he didn't take it, Fiebing said. However, police said there was probable cause that he took the pipe, so Coulter was cited for theft under $500.
He also was given citations for the marijuana and paraphernalia and possession of the spring-action knife, which is an illegal weapon, Fiebing said.

To reach Doug Crowl call 871-4206 or e-mail dcrowl@amigo.net