News briefs from around Wyoming

From Wyoming News Exchange newspapers

Woman arrested for aggravated assault after allegedly hitting motorcycle with her car

GILLETTE (WNE) — A 63-year-old woman was arrested for aggravated assault after allegedly chasing a motorcycle throughout town and intentionally hitting it with her car Sunday afternoon.

She and a 53-year-old man have been in an ongoing dispute over the ownership of two motorcycles, said Police Deputy Chief Brent Wasson. Sunday afternoon, the woman sat outside the man’s room at the Arrowhead Motel and waited for him to leave.

The man left his motel room and got on a black 2000 Suzuki motorcycle and drove off. The woman began following him in a 2004 Pontiac and chased him throughout town as he unsuccessfully tried to lose her, Wasson said.

The man stopped at a stop sign at Country Club Road and a frontage road leading to Walmart, then continued through the intersection. The woman ran through the stop sign and intentionally hit the back of the motorcycle with her car, causing the motorcycle to fall over, Wasson said.

The man had injuries to his hands, knees and elbows from the crash, which caused more than $1,000 in damage to both vehicles.

The woman, Barbara Emerson, was arrested for aggravated assault. After she was arrested, she told officers she had meth in her bra, Wasson said. Detention officers found a bag with more than 3 grams of meth, and she also was charged with felony possession of a controlled substance.

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‘Armed and dangerous’ man with Gillette ties escapes custody in southeast Colorado

GILLETTE (WNE) — A man with ties to Gillette escaped custody from a hospital in La Junta, Colorado, last week and is still at large.

At 11:37 p.m. Thursday, Ronald Caillier, 38, escaped from the Arkansas Valley Regional Medical Center in La Junta following an altercation with a deputy. Caillier fled the scene from the emergency room despite being handcuffed with his hands in the front of his body, according to a Facebook post by the Bent County Sheriff’s Office.

La Junta is about 100 miles southeast of Colorado Springs. KKTV reported that as of Monday morning, Caillier was still on the run.

Caillier, who has ties to Gillette as well as Colorado Springs and Greeley, Colorado, is believed to be driving a white 2007 Dodge Grand Caravan with the Colorado license plate BFMW09. The minivan has damage to the passenger side door and a cracked passenger side rear-view window.

Authorities suspect the vehicle was stolen because the keys were left inside it. Furthermore, a 9mm handgun was underneath the driver’s seat. Caillier was wearing black and white striped pants and an orange t-shirt when he escaped.

The Bent County Sheriff’s Office believes Caillier is “armed and extremely dangerous.” It is strongly advised not to confront him if spotted. Instead, individuals are urged to contact local law enforcement immediately.

Caillier was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol in 2015, 2017 and 2019 in Campbell County, and in March 2023, he pleaded guilty to interference with a peace officer.

In Bent County, Caillier was being held on charges of first-degree burglary and third-degree assault. He was at the hospital for a medical exam when he escaped.