(EL PASO COUNTY) — The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office (EPSO) and the Fountain Police Department (FPD) joined forces to arrest a man after an armed home invasion in Fountain.
Just before 10 a.m. on Sept. 23, FPD received reports of a home invasion in the 900 Block of Grinde Drive, off of US 85. The victim told FPD that a man, now identified as 37-year-old Geoffrey Chinnow, forced his way into his apartment.
According to an official EPSO report, Chinnow hit the victim in the head with a handgun, threatened to shoot them, then shot two rounds into the floor. After that, Chinnow got into his car and left the apartment.
After receiving this call, FPD detectives launched an investigation and began surveillance at Chinnow’s house on Marksheffel Road in unincorporated El Paso County. After confirming Chinnow was indeed at his home, FPD contacted EPSO for assistance from their SWAT and Crisis Negotiation Units to perform what they deemed a high-risk search and arrest warrant.
Around 6 p.m., the EPSO SWAT team observed Chinnow in his garage, and after about 20 minutes, Chinnow left the house and was arrested without incident.
He has been booked into the El Paso County Jail and booked for Second Degree Assault, Illegal Discharge of a Firearm, Menacing, Possession of a Weapon by a Previous Offender, Criminal Mischief, and First Degree Burglary. He is being held on a $25,000 bond.
“Coordinated operations and shared resources strengthen public safety and ensure violent offenders are brought to justice. Our community will not be terrorized by violent offenders who illegally bring guns into our neighborhoods. My SWAT team executed this warrant with precision, and our Crisis Negotiations Unit secured a safe surrender, ensuring no further harm was done. I thank the Fountain Police for their swift investigation, and I am grateful for the great partnership we share with FPD in holding dangerous criminals in the Pikes Peak region accountable.”
– El Paso Sheriff Joseph Roybal
