Vail police ask for public help identifying assault suspect on East Vail bus

Editor’s note: Vail police on Thursday announced the arrest of suspect Lesley Dale Shelton, 45, in Leadville (see update below).

The Vail police on Wednesday put out the following press release seeking public help identifying an assault suspect on a Town of Vail bus in East Vail:

At approximately 3:18 p.m. March 27, the Vail Police Department responded to the area of Bighorn Park, 4825 Meadow Dr. in East Vail, for a report of a disturbance. A witness indicated that a male party had choked another passenger on a Town of Vail bus.

The security footage from the bus showed the male party, armed with a knife, walk up behind another passenger and attempt to choke the passenger with his left arm while placing the knife at the passenger’s throat with his right arm. The passenger was able to get away safely.

The Vail Police Department is seeking assistance in identifying any individuals that may have been on the bus and witnessed the incident or can identify any of the involved parties. If you have any information, please contact Officer Clausen, 970-479-2201, bclausen@vailgov.com or message Vail Police on Facebook.

Update: On April 1, Lesley Dale Shelton, 45, was contacted and arrested without incident in Leadville by the Lake County Sheriff’s Office on an outstanding felony arrest warrant. The warrant was issued by the Vail Police Department after an investigation determined that Shelton was the main suspect involved in an assault with a deadly weapon that occurred on a Vail Transit bus on March 27.

The Vail Police Department would like to thank the public for information leading to the identification and capture of Shelton.

Note: All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty in the court of law.