The San Miguel County Sheriff issued a “cautionary warning” this week about an “armed man” who has been camping in the Telluride area illegally.
The suspect, Ericknakoma Osterwald, 39, has been arrested three times in the Norwood and Telluride areas since July 1 for charges including weapons offenses, burglary of a local laundromat, possession of methamphetamine, trespassing and theft, according to the sheriff’s office.
Sheriff issuing "cautionary warning" regarding an armed man who has been illegally camping in Telluride. The man has been arrested 3 times in Norwood & Telluride areas since July 1 for charges incl weapons offenses, burglary of a local laundromat, possession of meth, trespassing, pic.twitter.com/k10JM7U94l
— San Miguel Sheriff (@SheriffAlert) August 23, 2021
“In light of the past week’s double homicide of campers outside Moab, l want to caution people to be aware of their surroundings,” said Sheriff William ‘Bill’ Masters in a news release.
A homicide investigation is ongoing in Utah in the shooting deaths of a couple near Moab.
The bodies of Crystal Michelle Turner, 38, and Kylen Carrol Schulte, 24, were found Aug. 18 in the South Mesa area of the La Sal Loop Road in Grand County, Utah, according to the county sheriff’s office there.
There is no indication that the Colorado and Utah cases are connected.
In San Miguel County, a judge has “repeatedly” released Osterwald from jail on personal recognizance “over the objections of the district attorney’s office,” the sheriff said.
On Monday, more than three dozen weapons were found around the suspect’s campsite, in the Mill Creek area of Telluride, including knives, hatchets, a crossbow and several swords, the sheriff’s office said. The site is “illegally constructed on private property,” just yards from a popular hiking trail.
His whereabouts are unknown at this time, the sheriff’s office said.
