<b>Council candidate charged with felony</b>
By Trevor Hughes
<i>Staff Writer</i>

A candidate for Louisville (Colorado) City Council has been charged with a felony after she allegedly vandalized a $40,000 car parked in a handicapped space.

According to police and witnesses, Ward 2 candidate Barbara Escajeda "keyed" a dark green Lotus parked in a handicapped space at the Coal Creek Golf Course July 8. In a voluntary statement made to police the next day, Escajeda said she "made a big mistake."

"I believe that as human beings we are not perfect," Escajeda said in the handwritten statement. "I have never caused damage to anything before. I made a mistake. God knows I am telling the truth."

According to witnesses, she scratched the passenger side of the 1994 Lotus S4 with a key, stepped back and looked around, then did it again. She then went to play golf, according to police reports.

[ ... ]

Damage to the Lotus is estimated at $5,000 - $10,000. The owner of the car, who had just undergone reconstructive knee surgery, had properly displayed a handicapped placard, police said.

According to reports, Escajeda initially denied the charges when interviewed by police, but offered to pay for the damage to the car. Police say she eventually confessed, and apologized to the car's owner. Escajeda owns a company that helps abused women start their own businesses.

In an interview Sept. 4, Escajeda reiterated that she made a "mistake" in damaging the car.

"I made a mistake. What I did was wrong. This had nothing to do with the owner of the car. I've offered to pay for all the damages. It's a situation that you can find yourself in and all you can say is 'I made a mistake and it won't happen again.' It's certainly a mistake that could cost me the election. The most important thing is to be honest and up-front."

<i>(Here's where it gets good... -- Bill)</i>

Escajeda blamed "47 years of pent-up frustration" for her actions. She said suffering she's seen as a nurse who's traveled the world caused tension within her.

"In Thailand... there was a man that had both of his legs chopped off. He was dragging himself along the street by his elbows. I couldn't help that man," Escajeda said. "Why did I do it? I don't know."

In the first week of August, according to police reports, Escajeda called the investigating officer and told him the charges "will not stick."

She then called him back Aug. 11 and invited him to dinner. That officer has since moved on to the Longmont (Colorado) Police Department.

Police Chief Bruce Goodman, who was familiar with the case, said Escajeda's dinner invitation was unusual, but not illegal. "It's not serious at all," Goodman said of the invitation. "I would not take it as bribery."

Escajeda said the chief is a close friend.

 

If I caught someone keying my car I would jam the damn thing in their freakin eyeballs. How's that for appropriate restraint?

 

If it was my car I would demand BLOOD... My 86 Coupe GT was keyed when I was in high school!

 

If I ever caught anyone, I'd be the one in the news for assault.

 

Hope she loses the election.

Personally, if I caught someone doing that to my car, well... it would be police blotter material. As for the close friends with the chief, were I a reporter, I'd be following up on that one! Cheers!

 

First time in my life it happened to one of my cars. I'm angry at someone, I just don't know who...how frustrating.

At least someone caught this loser (Escajeda) doing the deed.

 

"Sorry officer, he must have slipped and fell on top of his key, what are the odds of it going right into his eye?"

 

What kind of Desmo setup do you have?

Your sig says 784R...didn't know Ducati made that bike! :-D

Best Regards,
Michael Smith

 

good excuse to put up my new sig pic, too.