Six-Hour Delay in Alerting Authorities Complicates Search for Escaped Suspect

Advantage Treatment Center in Sterling drove Byron Roth to Weld County for a court appearance without notifying local police. The facility released a statement on Oct. 26, calling the move a routine transport, but records show Roth was not handcuffed or restrained during the trip. He was facing charges of aggravated robbery, felony menacing, and theft in Weld County.

The sequence of events began at 10 a.m. on Oct. 16. The vehicle transporting Roth from Sterling in Logan County pulled over just outside Fort Morgan in Morgan County after Roth said he felt ill. He ran from the stopped car and has not been seen since, according to the Morgan County Sheriff’s Office.

Colorado State Patrol records indicate the agency was not called by 911. Instead, a staff member at Advantage Treatment Center emailed the state patrol more than an hour after the escape to request a warrant. The Morgan County Sheriff’s Office posted a public warning on Facebook around noon that day. However, the official law enforcement alert did not go out until after 4 p.m., creating a gap of nearly six hours between the escape and the formal notification.

Stacey Hervey, a law enforcement professor at Metropolitan State University of Denver, noted that no agency in Logan, Morgan, or Weld County knew a person in custody was being moved. She said the facility missed the best chance to search for Roth and secure his return. Hervey also pointed out that Roth was known to carry weapons, suggesting the transport should have involved sworn officers.

The Weld County District Attorney’s Office confirmed they were not informed of the transfer. The office stated that transporting individuals with warrants is solely the responsibility of sworn law enforcement. An arrest affidavit for Roth noted he stole shoes from a business in February and told an employee he had a gun.

The state’s Division of Criminal Justice is now involved in the matter. The agency has ordered Advantage Treatment Center to review its incident response and policies. The division is also considering launching its own investigation. The center is partially funded by taxpayers, and the state has the authority to force corrective actions if needed.

Advantage Treatment Center declined to comment further on why law enforcement was not involved. The company said it is reviewing internal procedures and will share the results with oversight agencies and local police. They expressed hope that Roth will be quickly apprehended and remanded to custody to face his charges.