Jonathan Tischer

CHAFFEE COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE

PRESS RELEASE 

Over the last several weeks the Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office and the Salida Police Department have been investigating a rash of thefts and criminal mischiefs in the Poncha Springs area and in the City of Salida, predominately on the Hwy 50 corridor. The thefts include small items from vehicles, residences and businesses as well as larger pieces of equipment and motor vehicles. In several of the cases victim’s gas tanks had been drilled allowing all the fuel to drain from their tanks.

In the evening hours on 08-09-16 a Colorado State Trooper was patrolling the Poncha Pass area (Hwy 285 south of Poncha Springs) when he encountered a male party ridding a push wagon down the pass. The trooper attempted to make contact with the male party by he fled from the area, leaving behind the push wagon and disappeared into the dense wooded area around Poncha Creek. The push wagon had earlier been reported stolen from a Salida business.

The next morning Salida Police Department Detective Rob Martellaro and Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office Sergeant Detective Andrew Rohrich responded to the area of Poncha Pass in an attempt to locate the fleeing suspect. Located on BLM land between Poncha Creek and Hwy 285 on Poncha Pass the detective’s located a large camp containing numerous pieces of stolen property. Stolen vehicles were also found in the vicinity of the camp.

A suspect in the rash of thefts and criminal mischief complaints has been identified as Jonathan Tischer, Age 30 of Salida. Tischer is currently wanted on numerous warrants for unassociated crimes and a variety of new charges are pending including aggravated motor vehicle theft, burglary, theft and criminal mischief. Please do not attempt to approach Tischer as he should be considered armed and potentially dangerous. If you do have a sighting of Tischer please call 911 or Chaffee County Dispatch at 719-539-2596. Agencies involved in the investigation include the Salida Police Department, Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office, Bureau of Land Management and the Colorado State Patrol. For additional information or to provide a tip please contact Sgt. Andrew Rohrich at 719-530-5729 with the Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office or call Chaffee County Crime Stoppers. Recent photo of Tischer above.