Brawl sends 3 to jail, hospital

MONTROSE — An evening brouhaha between two peer groups sent three people to the hospital and three adults to jail Wednesday. Who started it, though, depends on who you ask.

Montrose Police spokeswoman Kathi Kinkel said a group of four, including Robert Washington, Julio Cano and two juveniles, claimed two carloads of other people followed them down South Townsend, stopping near the Western Convenience store.

The Washington-Cano group reportedly got out of their vehicle and approached the second group, and one person in it got out of his car swinging a baseball bat.

The two groups then began fighting, and, according to what police say Washington reported, the second group got back into their cars. As they left, one car, allegedly driven by Victor Bustamante-Espinosa, struck Washington and a juvenile male. Both Washington and the boy went to the hospital, where they were treated and reportedly released.

Washington also surrendered a baseball bat to police, Kinkel said.

Bustamante-Espinosa’s group, which included several juveniles, also went to the hospital. There, they told police they’d simply stopped when the Washington-Cano group showed up and started fighting, using bats and metal implements. Bustamante-Espinosa reportedly tried to leave the scene, and struck people who were blocking his vehicle.

During the fracas, Washington allegedly broke out the window of one of the vehicles and Cano allegedly hit someone with a metal implement.

“It was ugly, as far as what went on with the fights,” Montrose Police Cmdr. Gene Lillard said. “It escalated to the point where people were hurt. It could’ve been a lot more serious, but it was serious (enough) in nature.”

Bustamante-Espinosa, 20, Cano, 18, and Washington,19, all made the trip to the lock-up. Lillard said some of the juveniles had warrants and were taken to Grand Mesa Youth Services.

Bustamante-Espinosa was arrested on suspicion of vehicular assault and held on a $2,500 cash or surety bail. Cano is accused of second-degree assault and was held on a $25,000 bond, according to the Montrose Combined Courts. Formal charges against both men are due Oct. 2.

Washington, accused on criminal mischief, was free on bond Thursday morning and no court date was available.