A 55 year-old Egnar, Colorado man wanted in San Miguel County for multiple charges, including two felonies, was apprehended and taken into custody Tuesday afternoon in Fernley, Nevada, just east of Reno. Eldon Dick had made several threats to kill San Miguel County Sheriff’s Deputies if they attempted to apprehend him in connection with the warrant for his arrest.
The San Miguel County Sheriff’s Office (SMSO) received information this morning (Tuesday) that Mr. Dick had stayed in an Elko, Nevada motel either last night or the night before where he used his Colorado Driver’s License to check in. Hotel staff became suspicious when the man bragged about having a warrant from Colorado and said he was on his way to California to find a lawyer. When the man left, they “googled” him, saw the SMSO news release regarding his warrant, and contacted SMSO. SMSO then issued a “Be On the Lookout”(known as a “BOLO” alert) to law enforcement in Nevada with an emphasis on the I-80 area.
Upon receiving the bulletin, a Nevada Highway Patrol trooper staked out the highway east of Reno in the Fernley area and spotted a man riding a motorcycle who matched the BOLO description. The man was not wearing a helmet as required by Nevada law, and a traffic stop was made.
Mr. Dick was said to be compliant, and was found to be carrying a pocketknife but no other weapons or drugs. He was taken into custody without incident. The helmet violation was the only local charge, and that charge has been dropped.
Mr. Dick will be held in Nevada until he either bonds or is extradited to face charges in San Miguel County including: First Degree Felony Criminal Trespass, Felony Theft, Child Abuse, Prohibited Use of a Weapon, Harassment, and Criminal Mischief.
Sheriff Masters was grateful for the widespread vigilance in the search for Mr. Dick. “We received dozens of tips from concerned citizens, and I want to thank the diligent members of the Nevada Highway Patrol who safely apprehended him,” Sheriff Masters said.
San Miguel County Sheriff Deputies were contacted last week by a family renting a modular home on Mr. Dick’s Egnar property alleging that they had been experiencing escalating problems from Mr. Dick for weeks, including the discharge of a firearm at imaginary persons, theft and harassment.
Deputies executed a search warrant at Mr. Dick’s home last Thursday (October 15th) and found an estimated $5,500 worth of alleged stolen property.
The San Miguel County Court then issued a felony warrant for the arrest of Mr. Dick Friday (October 16th).
On Friday, Mr. Dick began calling law enforcement agencies threatening to kill any officers who attempt to approach him. Mr. Dick stated in between mostly unintelligible screaming, “Let’s get down and dirty and see who dies. I don’t give a (expleteive) how many (officers) I take with me...so come with body bags.”
Sheriff Bill Masters said although Mr. Dick is considered mentally unstable in his dealings with law enforcement, he was not believed to be immediately dangerous to the general public. Sheriff Masters was working with multiple agencies in an effort to safely apprehend Mr. Dick and encouraged him to turn himself in.
Mr. Dick has a history of felony arrests in San Miguel County dating back to 2007.