Robbery victim critical of investigation

PAONIA — Delta County is actively seeking an armed robbery suspect, and possibly other individuals who allegedly broke into a Paonia-area home a few days before Thanksgiving.

The reported victim, however, is critical of the way authorities are handling the investigation.

“We were held by gunpoint and with a hatchet,” the man, who wished to be identified only by his last name, Winiarczyk, said. “I did all the footwork and found out who the people were and gave the cops the information.”

Because of the ongoing nature of the investigation, Delta County Sheriff Fred McKee had few details about the alleged robbery he could release.

“Our guys responded immediately and quickly, and searched the area,” he said. “The next day, they took all the investigative steps necessary to get a warrant on one of the suspects. I don’t know how to get any better than that.”

McKee said a search warrant led to evidence sufficient to seek the arrest of Robert Allen Harvey, 38, of Hotchkiss. Harvey was described as a white male, 5-feet, 7-inches tall and weighing 150 pounds.

Harvey is considered armed and dangerous, but McKee could not disclose why, other than to say the Winiarczyks saw enough between late Nov. 24 and early Nov. 25 to know that one of the people who broke into their home was armed.

Again citing the ongoing nature of the investigation, McKee said he couldn’t disclose what was taken from the home, how or why the suspects left, or why his agency and the Paonia police focused on Harvey.

“We believe there are additional individuals involved,” he said. “We’ll have more information, hopefully, after we apprehend the suspect.”

But Winiarczyk, who said “people need to know this is going around,” offered plenty of details.

He recounted how noises at around 11 p.m. Nov. 24 brought him to his door. When he opened it, someone slammed down his foot, held a hatchet and drew a .45-caliber gun.

“I told my wife to run. I was armed, but I’m a Buddhist and I didn’t want to hurt anyone. They held us hostage in the back while the people were doing what they were doing in my house,” Winiarczyk said.

“This has just been a nightmare.”

The alleged thieves would eventually take cash, a .38-caliber gun and Winiarczyk’s legally prescribed medical marijuana.

Winiarczyk said he and his wife ran to the bathroom and turned out the lights so the people on the other side of the door wouldn’t be able to see any movement. Mrs. Winiarczyk was able to grab the .45 while fleeing, and turned it over to her husband, who trained it on the bathroom door, and, with his other hand, held the door “with a death grip,” waiting.

Winiarczyk said the men in his house threatened to kill the family if they called the police — and they also threatened to come back.

“They tried telling us we owed people money from Seattle, which we don’t,” said Winiarczyk, who relocated from Seattle to Paonia in 2005.

He told the men where his money and valuables were. “I wanted them out without any violence.”

After the men left their home, the Winiarczyks called police on a cell phone — their landline had been ripped out to prevent them from calling for help, he said.

Winiarczyk said he identified Harvey from a photo lineup. He also said he’d shared other information with investigators but felt it was being disregarded.

“We’re not getting much of anything from the police. I haven’t heard anything,” he said. “They found all my stuff, but he’s gone. ... Nobody will do anything. The town of Paonia knows who did this.”

These days, Winiarczyk carries a .45 while on his property, and is tuned to every noise.

“What they took away from us was our security. My wife is so stressed right now. It’s even worse for her. I’m the rock pretty much at this point. I can’t deal with much more of this, either.”

He’s told all his friends to call before coming by the house. “I’m afraid these people will come back,” he said. “They’ve been telling everyone they’re going to do it again.”

Winiarczyk also said he needs his medical marijuana back so he can continue to treat the chronic health concerns for which it was prescribed.

“I contribute to the community and pay my taxes. It’s not like we’re non-functional, typical hippy potheads who just sit around and get stoned,” he said.

“It’s really a medicine. It’s just BS that they’re going to sit here and say that’s why this (alleged robbery) happened. What if it was some old women? They would be all over it.

“I would feel safer as a criminal at this point. It seems they have more protection than an actual victim does. I would feel better if they were taking this more seriously.”

McKee said he couldn’t comment on any information Winiarczyk provided about the incident, but he was confident the identified suspect, Harvey, will be apprehended.

“I believe our people responded very appropriately. We’re going to arrest people when we have enough probable cause to arrest people and get a conviction,” he said.

Anyone with information about the alleged robbery or Harvey is asked to call the DCSO at 874-2000 or Crime Stoppers at 874-8810.