Felicia Marie Abeyta – Apprehended

Ms. Abeyta was taken into custody by deputies of the Adams County Sheriff’s Office on 12/28/11. She was taken to the Adams County Jail and was later released on bond. Only time will tell if she has mended her ways.

Aaron Avalos – Apprehended

Aaron Avalos was apprehended on 12/22/11. He was taken in to custody without incident and turned over to the Denver Police.

The Power of the Internet

The case of Mr. Avalos clearly demonstrates the power of the internet in skip tracing and apprehending fugitives. Within 24 hours of posting Mr. Avalos’ wanted poster, a confidential source called with information regarding his location. My recovery agents and I went to the suspected location and conducted a surveillance of the residence. I was in front and the other agents were at the rear of the house. Children were observed playing in the back yard and were asked if Aaron was home. They replied that he was inside and to just go in.

I went to the front door and asked for Aaron. His brother said that he was not there. However, the recovery agent was at the back door and started in. When the brother saw the other agent, he admitted that Avalos was in the basement. We entered and apprehended Avalos without incident.

I asked Mr. Avalos why he failed to appear in court and he said that his vehicle had been impounded and he did not have a ride to the courthouse. I then asked him why he failed to return my phone calls. He was silent on that issue. He added that he had been talking with his aunt and they had agreed to take care of the matter after Christmas. However, karma waits for no man and the confidential source provided just the information we needed.

My thanks go to the confidential source for providing the information. The source declined the offer of a reward saying that the arrest of Mr. Avalos was reward enough.

Aaron Albert Avalos

Mr. Avalos is wanted by the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office for failure to appear in court while on bond. He is considered to be a fugitive of justice. He is described as 5’5″ tall, 125lbs., with brown hair and eyes. His last reported address was 9543 W. Capri Ave., Littleton, Colorado. He is reported to drive a 2000 Chevrolet Blazer 4 dr Sport Utility with Colorado tags: 371TBS.

Anyone having information on the whereabouts of Mr. Avalos is asked to call 720-284-9764. You may be eligible for a reward.

Why do people do what they do?

I don’t remember when I first heard the statement that people do things for their own reasons, not yours. However, it has stuck with me over the years.

The bail business has proven that statement to be true over and over. I’m constantly amazed by the reasons that people give for not going to court and then I remember that it’s their reason, not mine.

Bail is simple.

From my perspective, bail is a very simple arrangement. One person agrees to get the other person out of jail if they agree to go to court. Go to court – stay out of jail. Don’t go to court – risk going back to jail.

A Bail Agent can be your best friend – or your worst enemy.

Again, I see this as very simple. You don’t want to screw over the person who gets you out of jail. However, a lot of folks don’t seem to understand that concept. They don’t go to court for whatever reason and put their family and their bail bondsman in a bad situation. It seems that they think that the bondsman is not going to go after them. Not true.

Some reasons I’ve heard.

1. I forgot.
2. I had to work.
3. The car broke down.
4. I couldn’t get a ride.
5. I couldn’t find a babysitter.
6. I didn’t have the money.
7. I had a job interview.
8. I was going to go next week.
9. I went to the wrong court.
10. I was in jail.

These reasons all seem lame to me. However, they are “their” reasons, not mine. Lets examine them.

1. I forgot — I do not understand this excuse at all. How can you possibly forget a court date when the consequence of doing so is that you go back to jail. It seems so simple. Go to court or go back to jail.
2. I had to work — People do have to work. I get that. However, you risk going back to jail and losing your job. Work it out with your employer.
3. The car broke down — again, that happens. You could have called me or the court and let us know. We understand and sometimes we can work it out.
4. I couldn’t get a ride — the sheriff will be more than happy to give you a ride…back to jail. Have a plan ahead of time.
5. I couldn’t find a babysitter —plan ahead. Who’s going to watch the kids if you are in jail?
6. I didn’t have the money — this can only make matters worse. If funds are low, the court will understand and put you on  a payment plan. Ignoring the court date will only cost you more in the long run.
7. I had a job interview — plan ahead. Schedule the interview on another day. What is your new employer going to think when your bondsman shows up to take you back to jail?
8. I was going to go next week — the court has a docket that is loaded with cases. They have to manage those cases and are not in a position to deal with you when you feel like it. Take your court date seriously.
9. I went to the wrong court — you are in too much trouble.
10. I was in jail— not an excuse. You are in way too much trouble.

Felicia Marie Abeyta is wanted for failure to appear in court to answer to the charges of violation of probation on a DUI charge. I contacted Ms. Abeyta when she failed to appear and she told me that she had a job interview that day and went there instead. She said that she would resolve the court matter but has failed to do so.

Ms. Abeyta reported that she was living in Thornton, Colorado and was driving a 2000 Nisan Maxima with Colorado tags 999-RPL.

Anyone having information on Ms. Abeyta is asked to call 720-284-9764. You may be eligible for a reward.

Jorge Alfredo Partida, pictured above, has failed to appear in court while on bond and is considered a fugitive of justice from the State of Colorado. Charges are pending in Denver County Court and Las Animas County Court.

Mr. Partida has family living in the Denver area He reported that a poor economy and the weather in Denver forced him to relocate his Hawaiian Shave Ice business to El Paso, Texas last winter. However, he makes frequent trips back to Denver and planned to go to Court.

Partida call me saying that he was in the hospital with a bad back and would take care of his court appearances when he got out. That didn’t happen.

Mr. Partida is still believed to be in El Paso, Texas.

Anyone having information regarding the whereabouts of Mr. Partida is asked to call 720-284-9764. You may be eligible for a reward.

 I received the following email from Kelly McCartney who represents the Board of Review of the US Commerce Association:

I am pleased to announce that Aloha Bail Bonds has been selected for the 2011 Best of Littleton Award in the Bail Bond Services category by the US Commerce Association (USCA).

I’m sure that your selection as a 2011 Award Winner is a reflection of the hard work of not only yourself, but of many people that have supported your business and contributed to the subsequent success of your organization. Congratulations on your selection to such an elite group of small businesses.

In recognition of your achievement, a special 2011 Best of Littleton Award has been designed for display at your place of business. You may arrange to have your award sent directly to Aloha Bail Bonds by following the simple steps on the 2011 Best of Littleton Award order form.

The USCA “Best of Local Business” Award Program recognizes outstanding local businesses throughout the country. Each year, the USCA identifies companies that we believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and community.

Also, a copy of the press release publicizing the selection of Aloha Bail Bonds is posted on the USCA website. USCA hereby grants Aloha Bail Bonds a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to use, reproduce, distribute, and display this press release in any media formats and through any media channels.

In order to provide you with the best possible service, you have been assigned an award code that can be used on our website for quick access to your award information and press release. If you have any questions or comments, please include this code with your correspondence.

Your Award Code is:XXXXXXX

Questions? Please call us at: 646-355-0637 and select option 1.

Sincerely,

Kelly McCartney
Board of Review
US Commerce Association

I won? What? Who is giving me this award? What is this all about?

I went to the website for US Commerce Association and found very little information about who they are. Instead, I learned all about how I could order my award for $179.

Who “gives” and award and requires the recipient to pay for it? Apparently, US Commerce Association.

Thanks for the recognition, Kelly. It’s an honor to have been nominated, let alone win such a prestigious award. However, I do not feel worthy of this award and respectfully decline your offer.

You’ve made my day.

Al Perna

Aloha Bail Bonds

George Thomas Tucker,  a fugitive from the State of Colorado, was apprehended in Rockdale, Texas. He was working as a consultant at a power plant and was taken into custody without incident by my recovery agent with assistance from Deputies of the Milam County Sheriff’s Department. Mr. Tucker waived extradition and was returned to Denver without incident.

I asked Mr. Tucker why he fled the state and failed to appear in court. He responded that his project in Denver had ended and he went to Texas to seek other projects. While in Texas, he learned of a project in Tucson, AZ. He moved to Tucson and worked there for a few months. He encountered the Tucson Police while driving intoxicated and without a license. He posted a cash bond and failed to appear in court. When Tucson Police attempted to serve an arrest warrant for the failure to appear, Mr. Tucker left Tucson and returned to Texas.

I must admit that I admire Mr. Tucker for his drive, tenacity and positive attitude. As I was walking him in to the Denver Police Department, he continued to negotiate with me to post his bond again. “I’m an old man with a professional degree and position. Where am I going to go?”

I was reading an article on pretrial services programs and was struck by the fact that they were having trouble validating a “pretrial risk assessment instrument” as part of their work. This instrument is used to assess a defendant’s risk of failure to appear in court if released pending trial. Apparently, they are trying to develop  an objective means of measuring the risk of a defendant failing to appear in court by reviewing a defendant’s background and giving points for certain factors which will lead to a score and tell them whether or not the defendant will appear in court.

The bail bond industry has had such a means of assessing the risk of a failure to appear. I call it “skin in the game”. This is a term that has been used in the investment world and refers to a situation where high ranking insiders use their own money to invest in the business in which they are running. This is to ensure that companies are managed by like-minded people who have a stake in the company. The best vote of confidence in a company is putting one’s own money on the line.

As applied to bail, “skin in the game” refers to a defendant’s family or friends being willing to put up their money to a bondsman and willing to take the risk in saying that the defendant will appear. They know the individual best and if they are willing to stand up for him that says a lot about the person in custody.

Pretrial Services would like to remove the concept of  ”skin in the game” and replace it with an “assessment tool”. Why replace something that works with something that doesn’t?

I’ve been reading online commentary regarding the proposed Colorado SB 11-186 Alternative Bond Program. The bill proposes a percentage of the total bond be deposited in cash with the court. Up to 50% of the money may be retained to fund pretrial services and the remaining 50% may be refunded to the defendant. Some folks have really focused on the may be refunded portion and believe that it will be refunded.

What the bill says is that the money may be refunded unless there are costs to be paid. In that case, the money will be kept to pay those fees. Here is a list of potential fees:

• Victim compensation cost
• Victims assistance surcharge
• Restitution
• Time Payment Fee
• Sheriff costs
• Attorney fees
• ADDS fee(?)
• Fine
• Court Security fund
• Court costs
• LEAF fee(?)
• Drug offender surcharge
• Special advocate surcharge
• Sex offender surcharge
• Youthful offender surcharge
• Drug standardized assessment fee
• PSI drug testing fee
• Genetic testing fee (Offender ID fee)
• Public Defender fee
• Child Abuse investigation surcharge
• Victim address confidentiality surcharge
• Genetic testing surcharge
• Other_____________

Does anyone still think that there will be anything left over to be refunded?