Halfway house escape: State agency reviews transport failure

The Colorado Division of Criminal Justice has begun a review of Advantage Treatment Center following the escape of a man from a transport vehicle in Morgan County. The agency is also considering launching its own investigation into the incident and the facility's internal policies.

Byron Roth was driving to Weld County on Oct. 16 to face charges for aggravated robbery, felony menacing, and theft. He was not handcuffed or restrained during the trip. The vehicle pulled over just outside Fort Morgan after Roth reported feeling ill. He ran from the stopped car and has not been seen since, according to the Morgan County Sheriff's Office.

Local authorities were unaware of the transport until after the escape. The Colorado State Patrol said it received an email from the treatment center more than an hour after Roth fled, asking for a warrant. There is no record of a 911 call being placed immediately after he ran.

The Morgan County Sheriff's Office posted a warning to the public on Facebook around noon on Oct. 16. The official law enforcement alert did not go out until after 4 p.m., nearly six hours after the escape. Stacey Hervey, a law enforcement professor at Metropolitan State University of Denver, said the delay meant authorities missed the chance to conduct an effective search.

Hervey noted that no law enforcement agency in Weld, Logan, or Morgan counties was informed that a person in custody was being moved. She expressed surprise that the facility did not request police to perform the transport. She stated that questions need to be asked about why the center did not contact law enforcement first.

The Weld County District Attorney's Office said it was also not notified of the incoming suspect. The office stated that transporting people with warrants is solely the responsibility of sworn law enforcement officers. An arrest affidavit described Roth as someone known to carry weapons. It detailed how he stole shoes from a business in February and told an employee he had a gun when confronted.

Advantage Treatment Center described the trip as a routine transport in an email statement. The company said it is reviewing internal policies and procedures and will share results with oversight agencies and local law enforcement. When asked why they did not involve police, the company declined to comment further.

The facility is partially funded by taxpayers. The Division of Criminal Justice can force the center to take corrective action if the review finds issues with its procedures.