Criminal Mischief is charged when a person causes damage to another person’s property. When the two people involved have been in an intimate relationship, then the Criminal Mischief is charged as an act of Domestic Violence (DV). A woman is facing these charges after she reacted poorly to her break-up. According to the report, the day her boyfriend broke up with her, she was caught on surveillance footage trashing his house. She allegedly broke down the door and got inside, but the former boyfriend picked her up and took her back out. Once outside, she told her former beau to check upstairs and when he did, he saw that his room, bathroom, and closet were destroyed. The woman was arrested and charged with the property damage DV crime.
Weld County Criminal Mischief Attorney: Definition of Criminal Mischief in Morgan County
The Weld, Morgan, and Logan County, Colorado definition of Criminal Mischief – C.R.S. 18-4-501 – is:
The amount of damage caused determines what level felony or misdemeanor is charged:
|
Class of Crime |
Aggregate Damage of Property Harmed |
| Class 3 Misdemeanor Criminal Mischief | Less than $300 |
| Class 2 Misdemeanor Criminal Mischief | $300 to $749 |
| Class 1 Misdemeanor Criminal Mischief | $750 to $999 |
| Class 6 Felony Criminal Mischief | $1,000 to $4,999 |
| Class 5 Felony Criminal Mischief | $5,000 to $19,999 |
| Class 4 Felony Criminal Mischief | $20,000 to $99,999 |
| Class 3 Felony Criminal Mischief | $100,000 to $999,999 |
| Class 2 Felony Criminal Mischief | $1,000,000 or more |
It was not revealed in the article how much damage the woman caused, but I would not be surprised if it reached the $1,000 mark, which would mean a felony charge.
Domestic Violence and Criminal Mischief in Erie and Fort Lupton
Because the woman had been in an intimate relationship with the man who is the alleged victim in the case, she would likely be facing the Domestic Violence sentence enhancer. When the DV enhancer is added to a crime like Criminal Mischief, there are additional pre-sentencing and post-sentencing requirements involved. Click here to read more about it.