Aurora, CO – December 2, 2021 – Everyday hundreds of auto repossessions are called in to police dispatchers. Those same dispatchers then tag the reported vehicle in as repossessed in order to avoid confusion over any report of theft. So, what happens when the dispatcher accidentally tags it as stolen? A 24-year-old Aurora woman and her 3-year-old child found out the hard way.
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Ana Castanada, a young mother, was still shaken up following her first encounter with Aurora Police Department officers that occurred on November 13th when she was pulled over with her 3-year-old child in the back seat.
Guns drawn, officers approached her vehicle and forced her on her flat on her stomach on the street before putting her in handcuffs and sitting her on the curb.
Her car was reported stolen, but even the officers found it strange that she put up no resistance and pulled over as soon as she saw the sirens behind her.
“She is not taking off, which is interesting,” one officer is heard saying in a body camera footage provided to Denver7.
Another officer responded saying “so, she may not know that it’s stolen.”
Despite this odd reaction, the vehicle was listed as stolen and that required a “high-risk stop,” meaning that officers can draw guns immediately, according to APD spokesperson Matthew Longshore.
For Castanada, it was not the routine traffic stop she was expecting.
“I was scared for my life, my kid’s life,” Castanda said. “They had all their guns drawn out at me. Then, they handcuff me, they put their knee on my back, which is kind of painful. So, I can see people’s perspective of why they don’t like that situation.”
It’s a situation Castanada was confused about the whole time.
“In my head I was like I know I didn’t do anything wrong. It has to be a mistake on their part. This is crazy. I was scared. I was like I better just do as I’m told.” Castanada said.
Castanada informed officers that the vehicle was hers and that she had just gotten it back after it was repossessed by the Lakewood Happy Motors. Officers called the dealership and confirmed it did not report the vehicle stolen.
Castanada was released with several apologies by officers. Two days later, an APD commander called her with more apologies.
It turns out that the entire situation was the result of a clerical error, according to Longshore. He said after contacting the record unit, officers discovered there was a clerical mistake “where they actually check marked the wrong box from ‘repossessed’ to ‘stolen.'”
It’s an error Longshore says is very rare.
“I can’t remember the last time something like this happened. Just a clerical error in our record unit that has since been addressed by the supervisor, and now [there is] more of a checks and balances type thing,” Longshore said.
While Castanada appreciates the department’s apology, she says that she’s been traumatically impacted by the incident.
“That apology is not going to take the fright away from me. It’s not going to do much for me. They already traumatized me. I can’t drive down Colfax or any street, for that matter,” Castanada said.
Castanada’s attorneys are investigating the matter.
She says she’s just happy that her 3-year-old was asleep during the incident because of what trauma the situation could have caused her as well.
Source: The Denver Channel.com
Mother and child held at gunpoint after post repo typo
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