Steamboat Pilot & Today

A 25-year-old Hayden man who pleaded guilty to first-degree criminal trespass was sentenced to one year in prison and one year of parole.

District Court Judge Michael O'Hara sentenced Brian Fatjo on Tuesday for a Sept. 7 break-in at ACZ Laboratories in Steamboat Springs, which the victims say resulted in more than $15,000 in damages.

On Oct. 23, Fatjo pleaded guilty to first-degree criminal trespass, a Class 5 felony charge.

Under the plea agreement, Fatjo could face no more than one year in a correctional facility and two years probation.

The court has yet to decide how much Fatjo should pay in restitution. Public Defender Gail Morrison said her client wanted proof that the victims suffered the amount of damage they are claiming.

Court documents indicate that ACZ filed $15,222 in insurance claims. A restitution hearing has been set for Jan. 30.

Fatjo has a criminal history and was on probation for a crime committed in Denver at the time of the Sept. 7 break-in.

"It is pretty clear he is not an appropriate candidate for probation," O'Hara said before the sentencing.

According to police reports, officers found Fatjo lying in the grass in nothing but a T-shirt and boxer shorts outside of the laboratory Sept. 7. Inside the building, along with broken glass, chemical spills and a trail of blood, Steamboat Springs police officers said they found wet tennis shoes and socks and a pair of blue jeans with Fatjo's wallet, checkbook and ID. Police believed Fatjo had spilled chemicals on his clothing and made a 911 call from inside the building.

Police believed Fatjo entered through a broken window and exited through the door closest to where he was found.

-- To reach Christine Metz call 871-4229

or e-mail cmetz@steamboatpilot.com