Driver Who Struck Cop In Lakewood Hotel Lot Pleads Guilty

GOLDEN, CO – The driver of a stolen car who sent a Lakewood police officer to the hospital after hitting him in a hotel parking lot pleaded guilty in Jefferson County Court.

Enrique Arellano, 24, pleaded guilty Oct. 1 to first-degree assault and leaving the scene of an accident with a sentencing enhancement for a crime of violence, the Jefferson County District Attorney's Office said Wednesday.

Early in the morning on May 25, officers discovered a Subaru that had been stolen in the lot of the Crossland Economy Studios at 715 Kipling Street. Arellano and a woman, identified as Arlita Flores, came out of a room and got into the stolen car, police said.

The male driver ignored police commands and accelerated the car. A Lakewood officer was trying to put his K9 police dog on a leash in the parking lot when he was hit by the Subaru. The agent was thrown over the car and suffered a significant head injury, the district attorney's office said. He was taken to St. Anthony's Hospital.

The Subaru crashed into another car and both passengers in the car fled the scene on foot, but were taken into custody shortly thereafter. Arellano was found hiding in a residential trash can.

Sentencing for Arellano is scheduled for Nov. 16. He faces a mandatory 10 years in prison, up to 44 years.

Co-defendant Flores pled guilty on Aug. 27 to accessory to a crime. She is scheduled for sentencing on Oct. 29.

Image via Lakewood Police

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