(EL PASO COUNTY, Colo.) — The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office (EPSO) said detectives were nearly hit by a vehicle deputies said was driven by a prolific offender on Tuesday, June 10.
According to EPSO, on Tuesday, detectives from EPSO were conducting operations in downtown Colorado Springs when they identified 47-year-old Michael Cates, who EPSO said is a known repeat offender with a significant history of property crimes and multiple active felony warrants.
Detectives followed Cates to his vehicle and attempted to take him into custody. EPSO said Cates allegedly refused to comply with commands and drove from the area, nearly hitting detectives in the process.
Later, detectives found the vehicle at a hotel on Rusina Road near I-25 and Garden of the Gods Road. Surveillance by detectives identified Cates’ room, and with help from the Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD), Cates was arrested without issue.
EPSO said at the time of Cates’ arrest, he had five outstanding felony warrants comprising 39 charges, including Burglary, Theft, Identity Theft, Providing False Information to a Pawn Broker, and Possession of a Controlled Substance. Cates was booked into the El Paso County Jail on a $235,000 bond.
“I am extremely grateful this dangerous repeat criminal was taken off the streets of the Pikes Peak region,” said El Paso County Sheriff Joseph Roybal. “Thanks to the attentiveness of my detectives and the assistance of our partners at the Colorado Springs Police Department, Cates will be held accountable for his many crimes.”
According to EPSO, on Wednesday, June 11, detectives filed additional charges of:
Money Laundering (Two Counts)
Second Degree Burglary (Four Counts)
Second Degree Motor Vehicle Theft (Two Counts)
Vehicular Eluding
Theft
Third Degree Criminal Trespass (Six Counts)
Cates is being held on an additional $250,000 bond, and the investigation remains ongoing.
