The little grocery store in Westcliffe is often a quiet place with summer visitors and locals alike doing their shopping before the big holiday weekend. But around 1:35 p.m. on Wednesday, a swarm of armed Custer County Sheriff Officers, including Sheriff Rich Smith himself, armed with long guns and bulletproof vests, descended on a 61-year-old man as he exited the Loweâs Grocery Store in Westcliffe. The man was clearly surprised and offered no resistance as he was taken to the ground and handcuffed by the half dozen officers.
Paul Hendrych, a resident of Gardner, Colorado, and a Board member for the Upper Huerfano Fire Protection District, was a fugitive from the law when a warrant was issued for his arrest in 2019. He had skipped a bond for a second-degree felony drug conviction in Coconino County, Arizona, and has been hiding out near Gardner on land he purchased in 2009. Hendrych has an extensive criminal record, which includes drugs, driving while under the influence, gun violence, displaying a suspended license plate, harassment, intimidation, property damage, and driving with no insurance.
According to Custer County Sheriff Rich Smith, his office was notified by national authorities around three weeks ago that Hendrych was in the area. The Sheriff quickly assembled a team of officers in unmarked vehicles to monitor the cars entering the area that matched the description of the older model Chevy Blazer registered in Hendrychâs name.
When Hendrych entered Westcliffe on Wednesday afternoon, officers notified the rest of the team that he had gone to pick up water and then followed him to the Loweâs Supermarket. Because Hendrychâs background included gun violence, the Sheriffâs Office wanted to be certain that he was not armed and not a danger to the public or themselves before attempting to arrest him. When he entered the Loweâs Supermarket, the Sheriffâs Office observers noted he was not armed, and when he approached his car, they swiftly forced him to the ground and arrested him with no resistance.
Hendrych, as a Board Member of the Upper Huerfano Fire Protection District, had a volunteer fire license plate that said âFirefighterâ where his normal Colorado license plate should have been. He also had emergency flashing lights installed, a red sticker showing âvolunteerâ in the driverâs side corner of his windshield. When he was arrested, he was wearing a T-shirt that said âWeed Fire,â indicating a connection to the city of Weed, California. It is clear that he used his connection to the volunteer fire department in Gardner in an attempt to conceal his license plates. In Colorado, it is a violation of law not to have a plate in the front of the vehicle for identification, and he towed a water trailer to prevent any view of his rear bumper.
With all that said, it was clear that he was trying to be a productive member of the community where he was hiding out. A June 2023 story in the World Journal Newspaper, based in Walsenburg, showed that he volunteered not only for the fire district but also for the Care and Share food bank, which operates out of the Sacred Heart Catholic Church.
The old Chevy Blazer was hauling water for his property near Gardner, which he had purchased in 2009, about the time that he was getting in trouble with the law for drug use.
Several eyewitnesses stated that the Sheriffâs Office moved quickly and safely to arrest the suspect, and it is clear that a lot of training and coordination had gone into the operation.
The Sheriffâs Office stated that Hendrych is being held in Fremont County awaiting extradition to Arizona.
Jordan Hedberg
