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Carjacking suspect shot up his father's home as part of crime spree, affidavit says

Trenton Joshua Dunham was arrested at a Boulder bus stop on numerous felony charges.

BOULDER, Colo. — The man arrested at a Boulder bus stop Thursday morning went on a lengthy crime spree that began the night before when he shot up his father's Greeley home and car, according to a Boulder Police Department arrest affidavit.

Trenton Joshua Dunham faces numerous charges in connection with incidents on May 11 and 12. They include:

  • Two felony counts of aggravated motor vehicle theft
  • One felony count of illegally discharging a firearm
  • One misdemeanor count of first-degree criminal trespass
  • One misdemeanor count of theft
  • One felony count of aggravated robbery
  • Three felony counts of menacing
  • One felony count of criminal second degree assault with a deadly weapon
  • Two felony counts of assault in the first degree
  • Two felony counts of criminal attempt first degree murder
  • One felony count of vehicular eluding
  • One felony count of possession of a weapon by a previous offender

Everything began around 11:40 p.m. May 11 when a man reported that an unknown person had shot into his Greeley home, according to the affidavit.

That person reported that the bullet traveled through the front door and living about 8 feet from where he was sitting in a recliner, the affidavit says.

The bullet eventually struck and shattered the glass on a kitchen cabinet. The suspect also shot the victim's vehicle five times, and a gun was missing from the vehicle, the affidavit says.

The man later reported that he believed his son, identified as Dunham, was responsible for the damage.

Just before 6 a.m. the next morning, Broomfield Police responded to the U.S. 36 offramp to Wadsworth Boulevard for a crash with a "menacing" incident, the affidavit says.

Officers encountered a driver who said he was struck from behind by a green Honda CRV as he went west on the highway, according to the affidavit. The man said he pulled over into the HOV lane due to the crash, and when he did, the driver of the CRV pointed a gun at him.

The victim reported that the suspect tried to get away but couldn't due to traffic, the affidavit says. He reported that the suspect rammed his vehicle at least four times during the incident before he was able to drive away to the off-ramp.

Another man headed west on U.S. 36 said he pulled over after spotting a green CRV going east in the westbound lanes of the highway.

When he pulled over, the suspect pointed a gun in his direction. He reported that the suspect told him to get out of his truck or he would be killed, the affidavit says.

He said he ran from the truck and left the keys the ignition. As he ran, he reported that the suspect chased him while still pointing the gun at him, the affidavit says.

The victim ran behind another vehicle. The driver of that vehicle reported that she saw the suspect point a gun at the man, before he pointed the gun at her through her windshield.

Eventually, the suspect ran back to the victim's abandoned white truck and drove away, going west on U.S. 36, the affidavit says.

Just after 6 a.m. the stolen truck was spotted on the Pearl Street Mall in Boulder, where a witness reported that it was driving erratically and hit a barrier, the affidavit says.

A call went out to multiple agencies to be on the lookout for the stolen truck, which was spotted again about 7 a.m., headed west on Spruce Street from 15th Street.

Boulder police and Boulder County Sheriff's Office deputies responded. The suspect pulled out a gun, and two deputies and a University of Colorado Police officer fired at him, according to the affidavit.

The suspect was not hit and did not fire his weapon, Boulder Police said.

The suspect continued driving through the city before stop sticks were deployed.

"The vehicle's tires were deflated. The vehicle kept driving and attempted to drive on the sidewalk where there were pedestrians," said Dionne Waugh, Boulder Police spokeswoman.

Using additional vehicle maneuvers, officers stopped the truck and took Dunham into custody near the bus stop.

He was taken to the hospital for treatment of minor injuries related to shattered glass from when officers fired their guns, the affidavit says. A firearm was also recovered, according to police.

Dunham agreed to be interviewed by police and admitted that he shot up his father's car and house because he wanted "revenge" for how he was treated when he was younger, the affidavit says.

He also admitted that he stole a green CRV from Greeley, which was left unlocked, according to the document.

It was low on gas, he said, which prompted him to attempt to steal other vehicles on highway 36, the affidavit says.

Dunham said he was on the phone with his mother during a portion of the incident, who told him "not to pull the trigger," the affidavit says.

He said officers then shot at him, and he "tried" to comply with instructions so he "did not die," the document says.

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