DENVER — A Denver Sheriff Department deputy who faces charges after a hit-and-run crash early on New Year's Day told investigators he fell asleep while driving and then "panicked," according to an affidavit for his arrest from the Aurora Police Department.
Jeremiah Espinoza-Young, 30, faces numerous charges, including false reporting, related to the crash that happened shortly before 3 a.m. Jan. 1 in the 1900 block of Tower Road in Aurora.
According to the affidavit, a witness reported the crash around 7 a.m. He said he saw a white 2023 Subaru Legacy smash into a concrete barrier and a pole at a King Soopers warehouse. He provided police with the vehicle's license plate number and said it had "major front end damage," the affidavit says. The witness estimated the cost of repairs to be about $15,000.
The witness also reported that he saw a man talking on his phone and provided a description of him. Investigators ran the license plate, and it came back to Espinoza-Young.
They responded to an address in Aurora associated with him and spoke with his brother who explained Espinoza-Young no longer lived there. His brother also told investigators that he had missed a call from Espinoza-Young at 2:46 a.m. Investigators spoke with Espinoza-Young's mother, who said she had also missed a call from him at 2:30 a.m.
Just before 11 a.m., Espinoza-Young called Aurora dispatch and told them his vehicle had been stolen in Denver and he had filed a report with their agency. He later told investigators that he had woken up around 10 a.m. for work and realized his car was stolen.
Investigators asked why he had called both his mother and brother around the same time that his car was reportedly stolen and crashed. He said that he called to wish them Happy New Year and again stated he had not crashed the car, the affidavit says.
Two days later, on Jan. 3, an officer called Espinoza-Young and confronted him about "inconsistencies" related to the investigation. At that time, he told officers he was driving home and fell asleep and crashed into the barrier. He told the officer he "panicked" and drove off but didn't know why because "he didn't have any alcohol in his system," the affidavit says.
The Denver Sheriff Department said Espinoza-Young was arrested on charges of attempting to influence a public servant, false reporting to authorities, leaving the scene after striking unattended property and careless driving.
The department said Espinoza-Young became a deputy sheriff in 2016 and is assigned to the Denver County jail. The department placed him on investigatory leave on Jan. 3, the sheriff department said.
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