The man who fled a Douglas County Sheriff’s Office vehicle on Tuesday night has a history of theft, drug possession and evading police officers — starting with running from arrest in Kansas.

Alexander Reighart, 29, was arrested on Tuesday by Douglas County Sheriff’s Office deputies on outstanding felony warrants for possession of drugs and identification documents, according to arrest records. He was arrested near Highway 85 and Town Center Drive in unincorporated Douglas County near Highlands Ranch around 9 p.m.

Deputies responded to a call of a suspicious vehicle in the parking lot of the 7-Eleven at 3520 Town Center Drive. The vehicle was a 2008 Jeep Patriot with an Arizona license plate, according to arrest records.

Upon arrival, deputies found Reighart leaving the store. He cooperated with police, giving them his identification and waiting for them to run a background check. 

Dispatch advised the deputies that Reighart had two felony warrants for his arrest — a drug possession warrant issued by the Grand Junction Police Department and a criminal possession of two-or-more financial transaction devices warrant by Douglas County.

After searching Reighart’s person and vehicle, deputies found 12 grams of Methamphetamine, 29 Home Depot gift cards, five temporary Arizona ID cards, one Kansas driver’s license and two Alaska licenses.

Only one of the IDs included Reighart’s information.

Reighart was handcuffed and placed in the back of a patrol car as deputies searched the vehicle, according to records. The in-car camera showed Reighart allegedly move his handcuffs to the front of his body, open an “unsecured partition” between the backseat and front seat and leave through the driver’s side door, facing away from the scene.

The department later stated that the deputies involved did not violate any department policies leading up to the escape.

As of Thursday afternoon, Douglas County deputies are still looking for Reighart. He is wanted on new charges of escape from pending felony, controlled substance possession and possession of fake IDs.

Mesa County and Kansas

A Mesa County Sheriff’s Office deputy pulled Reighart over, driving a Honda Accord with a California license plate, for speeding on April 7, 2022. 

Reighart provided the deputy with a California driver’s license, showing his actual name and birthdate, and an expired insurance card, according to arrest records.

The deputy noted a smell of marijuana and asked Reighart to step out of the vehicle while a canine sniffed the car. The canine noted marijuana in the backseat and eventually a half-pound bag of methamphetamine

The deputy searched the trunk, finding a locked suitcase with three vacuumed-sealed bags containing 10.2 pounds of meth.

Upon arrest, the department found that Reighart was wanted in Kansas for drug possession charges from an arrest on Aug. 3, 2021, officially labeling him as a fugitive. He failed to appear for his sentencing in the state. 

Because Reighart was being held on charges in Colorado, as well, he was not extradited back to Kansas, according to 21st Judicial District Attorney Daniel Rubinstein.

The suspect posted a $25,000 cash-only bond in Mesa County and failed to appear at his sentencing on Jan. 3, 2024. His bond was revoked and a warrant issued for his arrest.

The Douglas County theft case is set for trial on Feb. 27. The suspect is still missing. 

The sheriff’s office noted that they do not believe Reighart is a danger to the public in a press release on Wednesday. 

“Based on the defendant’s criminal history in Colorado, I do not see any ‘crimes of violence.’ That’s a broad category, but crimes of violence would include aggravated assault, aggravated robbery, murder, attempted murder, etc.,” Eric Ross, media relations director for the 18th Judicial District Attorney’ Office, told The Denver Gazette regarding his potential danger to the public.