Passenger fired multiple rounds from a rifle

CENTER — Center Police Department Chief Aaron Fresquez, in a statement to the Valley Courier provided additional details on Friday’s high-speed chase.

At approximately 8:30 a.m., Friday, May 26, CPD officers responded to a call of a suspicious vehicle within Center city limits. When officers arrived on the scene and made contact with the two suspects inside the vehicle, the suspects appeared to be under the influence of drugs.

Upon making contact, the vehicle fled the scene and the officers followed in pursuit.

During the pursuit, with the suspects’ vehicle exceeding 120 mph, the suspect sitting in the passenger seat fired numerous rounds from a rifle at the officers, according to Fresquez.

The pursuit went through Center, Del Norte, La Garita, and into Monte Vista where the vehicle crashed near the Subway. Prior to the crash, spike strips were deployed multiple times but were unsuccessful.

Two suspects were taken into custody immediately after the crash and treated at local hospitals before being released into the officers’ custody and booked into jail. None of the officers or suspects were seriously injured.

The suspects were identified as Demi Ida Meastas of Aurora and Jonathan Raymond Segura of Denver. Both are being charged with numerous felonies and misdemeanors, including two counts of attempted murder of a police officer, two counts of attempted vehicular homicide, first-degree assault, possession of a firearm by previous offender, felony eluding, reckless endangerment, and other charges.

Multiple agencies were involved in this incident. The Center Police Department is the lead agency, with assistance from the Colorado Bureau of Instigation Crime Scene unit assisting in the processing of evidence.

This is an active investigation, and no further information is being released at this time.