Deputy tracks down car, identity theft suspect
(EL PASO COUNTY, Colo.) — A woman was arrested after she was allegedly found in possession of the keys to a stolen car, financial documents, as well as methamphetamine.
According to the El Paso County Sheriff's Office (EPSO), shortly after 1:30 a.m. on Tuesday, June 10, deputies were conducting a patrol check at the Econo Lodge on Panamint Court, near the intersection of Peterson Road and Highway 24, when they spotted a black Chevrolet Silverado displaying a fake temporary license plate. Further investigation revealed the Chevrolet was reported stolen in March 2025.
EPSO said no one was in the car at the time. A search of the Silverado resulted in the discovery of numerous pieces of mail, checks, and other documents bearing the name 'Brandy Cheeks.' Additionally, several checks were found made out to various individuals and businesses, along with multiple blank checks.
Deputies contacted the hotel's staff and subsequently located 33-year-old Brandy Cheek in one of the hotel rooms. Cheek was allegedly found in possession of the keys to the stolen Chevy and about .57 grams of meth. She also had an active felony warrant for identity theft.
Cheek was arrested and booked into the El Paso County Jail on multiple charges:
Felony warrant for identity theft
Forgery
New charges of identity theft
Second degree motor vehicle theft
Unlawful possession of a controlled substance
Cheek has since been released on bond and is due in El Paso County Court on June 20.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Hamilton Spectator
9 hours ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Halton police dog shoots itself in the paw, expected to make full recovery
A Halton police dog is expected to make a full recovery after being shot in the leg by a gun he accidentally triggered while helping search for evidence tied to a violent Burlington carjacking. Halton police say the injury to Freddy came in the wake of a fast-moving armed robbery investigation that ended Thursday afternoon with the arrest of two men who now face a combined 20 charges. A day earlier, around 5:30 p.m. June 25, police said a woman was driving a Porsche Macan near Guelph Line and Derry Road when she noticed a grey Chevrolet pickup truck following her. The woman pulled into the parking lot of Kilbride Public School before two masked men hopped out of the truck and pointed handguns at her, police said. She 'immediately' got out and surrendered her car. 'Thankfully the victim did not sustain any physical injuries,' police said in a release. The suspects, meanwhile, stole the luxury car and fled east in tandem with the pickup truck. Police said both vehicles were found abandoned in the area of Tobyn and Kilmer drives shortly after the robbery. Later investigation revealed the pickup truck had been reported stolen in Niagara region. By around 1:10 p.m. June 26, police spotted both suspects in the area of Walkers Line and Kilmer Drive. Police said one suspect — allegedly carrying two loaded firearms and an unspecified quantity of drugs — was immediately arrested. The other took off in a Volkswagen SUV, driving some five kilometres south to Sherwood Forest Park, where officers eventually arrested him, police said. It was there in the park, as Freddy and his handler scoured thick brush for evidence post-arrest, that the canine's paw came down on a loaded handgun that discharged. Police allege the gun was discarded by the suspect. 'We are grateful for our tenacious PSD Freddy and look forward to his full recovery,' Supt. Dave Costantini said in Friday's release. Police said a raid of a Burlington residence tied to the suspects later yielded a 3D printer, 3D-printed guns and a device used to reprogram stolen vehicles. A 33-year-old from Burlington and a 32-year-old from Oakville face 10 charges each, including robbery with a firearm, possession for the purpose of trafficking, disguise with intent and dangerous operation of a motor vehicle. Police said more charges could be laid as a probe into the 3D printed guns continues. According to police, the 33-year-old Burlington man was out on federal statutory release for a violent firearms offence at the time of the carjacking. Police said the accused was convicted of manslaughter in 2018 for an armed home invasion that saw a woman shot and killed. He was sentenced to 10 years but was released early after 16 months of credit for pre-sentence custody. Police noted the 32-year-old from Oakville was also bound by multiple probation orders and a release order for prior firearms offences. 'I cannot imagine the fear experienced by the victim during this violent and terrifying armed carjacking. On behalf of the Halton Regional Police Service (HRPS), I extend my thoughts to her and her family during this incredibly traumatic time,' Halton Chief Stephen Tanner said in the release. 'I am deeply concerned by the escalating level of violence and the use of loaded firearms in the commission of these crimes. Let me be perfectly clear — this type of criminal behaviour will not be tolerated in our community. If convicted, I am hopeful the courts will impose substantial sentences that reflect the serious and dangerous nature of these offences.' Sebastian Bron is a reporter with The Hamilton Spectator. sbron@ Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .


Motor 1
2 days ago
- Motor 1
‘I Legit Have Nightmares:' Customer Buys Chevy Suburban From Dealership. Then She Runs Into This Issue 3 Weeks Later
A mom shared scary footage of her Chevy Suburban's brakes allegedly failing while she was on the road, just three weeks after buying it. Tiffany Maillet (@upholsterygirl239) uploaded the viral clip on TikTok, where it accrued over 5.9 million views. In it, her evident panic was captured in the moment, along with how she worked with an officer to get her car to stop. The mother of five writes in a text overlay that's visible from the onset of her video, 'Just got a Chevy Suburban from the Chevy Dealership and experienced something out of my nightmares. I'm a mom of 5 kids and I HAVE to have my car. I just paid for summer camp for Monday. Today is my son's birthday. This is so awful.' Her TikTok shows dashcam footage recorded while she's on the road. Next, she suddenly makes an exclamation that would make any driver's heart sink and stomach churn: 'My, my, my car's not braking! My car's not braking!' The vehicle in front of her appears to come to a stop, its red brake lights engaged. Suburban Brake Failure On the TikToker's dashcam, she can be seen lurching ahead, nearing the stopped vehicle. On the opposite side of the road, a white SUV with flashing emergency lights is parked. The car on the road in front of her slowly moves up, creating enough room for her to veer into the far left lane. It's separated by a concrete curb divider, which the TikToker careens toward as she honks her horn several times. 'It's not braking!' she says with a cracked, fearful voice. Following this, she drives up on the curb, stopping right beside the white SUV, which has the word 'Sheriff' written on the side. Once she's adjacent to the police officer's vehicle, she shouts out to the officer. 'My car won't brake! I'm pushing so hard on the pedal!' she says. Quickly, the law enforcement official informs her to 'put on the emergency brake.' She hesitates and then quickly asks, 'Where's the emergency brake?' He repeats again, 'emergency brake.' She states, 'I'm pushing so hard on my brake!' and as she does so, a radio can be heard going off in the background of the clip. Emergency Brake Engaged Next, it seems she's managed to locate the emergency braking mechanism while the officer exits his vehicle to assist her. 'This thing?' she asks, sniffling. 'Yes, push that down,' he says. The mom then tearfully says to her husband on the phone, 'I'm next to the cop right now,' before explaining what happened to her vehicle. 'I was stopped back at that stop sign, and ... I was holding the brake down, and it kind of felt like it crunched for a second.' The officer replies, 'Yeah.' She continues, 'And it just started sliding and it wouldn't stop going, and I'm like holding it down as hard as I could.' Then, she addresses her husband on the phone, 'Can you call your mom because she's behind me and I want her to know. All right, bye.' At the end of her video, she tells the officer that she just recently purchased the car 'three weeks ago.' What Should You Do If Your Brakes Fail? Ideally, no driver would ever have to deal with brake failure. However, there are methods folks can adhere to in order to safely bring their car to a stop in the event their brakes give out. First, commuters should attempt to pump their brakes in case they've locked up. In some cases, repeatedly engaging the brakes can 'unlock' them, bringing vehicles to a stop. If that doesn't work, defensive driving school iDriveSafely recommends immediately putting on one's hazard lights. This will alert others on the road to steer clear of your car. Following this, place your vehicle into a lower gear. Doing so will 'slow down your car.' Conversely, the outlet cautions against immediately placing the car in neutral. That's because it 'will take away the engine braking effect.' Consequently, one's car won't start to decelerate. Furthermore, instantly shutting off one's car will also disable power steering, making it harder to control. Once your car is slowing down, slowly guide it to an area away from regular traffic flow. This can be a shoulder, outlet, or slightly raised curve, or even on the outskirts of the left or right-most lane. Next, iDriveSafely recommends engaging the emergency brake. Often, this brake's engagement system is in the form of a lever located near the car's center console. Many vehicles place it in the form of a small pedal left of the standard brake, so be cognizant of where it is and how to activate your e-brake. Chevy Dealership Admits Fault Following her harrowing road incident, Maillet posted other videos pertaining to her experience. In this particular TikTok commenting on the situation, she shared the outcome of her correspondence with the dealership. According to her, the reason she wasn't able to stop was due to aftermarket brakes. Additionally, she says a service tech informed the sales team that the brakes would need to be swapped out prior to the sale for safety reasons. However, she says the sales manager didn't want to eat the cost of a brake swap. Ultimately, Maillet added that upon escalating the issue, the dealership admitted fault. At the end of her clip, Maillet speculated just how much more dangerous a situation she could've found herself in. 'I MEAN I COULD HAVE BEEN GOING 80 DOWN THE HIGHWAY AND MY FAMILY WAS AT RISK. complete negligence,' she writes in a text overlay. More on Dealerships 'This Is Why No One Wants to Work at Dealerships:' Mechanic Works on Audi With Nail in Tire. Then He Turns on the Computer Dealership Worker Is Oh-So-Close To Closing Car Sale. Then a Receptionist Ruins It In 1 Minute What Maillet found even more troubling was the fact that her five children were with her when she bought the car, meaning the sales team had no qualms with putting all of them in a vehicle that had potentially faulty brakes. 'I legit went to the dealership with my 5 kids and he still thought it was a good idea to stick me in the Suburban absolute shame on @chevrolet,' she writes in the caption. When Dealerships Give You a Dud Unfortunately, used car sales isn't exactly known to be the most scrupulous of vocations. But just because a car is previously owned doesn't mean buyers aren't legally protected by what Lemon Car Law refers to as 'implied warranties.' This effectively means 'the dealer guarantees the vehicle will function as it is supposed to,' the outlet states. However, there is some nomenclature to consider. If you purchase a vehicle 'as is' from a dealer, then you are assuming all liability for any repairs to the vehicle. This doesn't seem to be the case with Maillet's purchase, as she explained the Chevy dealership took responsibility for not swapping the brakes. But not everyone is so fortunate as to have purchased a car from a dealership that's willing to own up to its mistakes. And if you didn't enter an 'as-is' agreement and the dealership lies about any damage incurred to the vehicle, you could have a claim against it. Furthermore, as Lemon Car Law states, if integral components are compromised, then drivers could take legal action. There are several steps involved in this process. First, Lemon Car Law recommends contacting your state's consumer protection office. This will allow you to start a record of lodging a formal complaint against the dealership that sold you the vehicle. Moreover, lodging a complaint with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) may also help garner more attention to your claim. While possessing no legal authority, many companies take BBB ratings seriously. So, bad marks against the company could incentivize it to take action. Additionally, should your vehicle still fall under the manufacturer's base warranty, Lemon Car Law also suggests filing with the National Center for Dispute Settlement. Commenters React Maillet also narrated in the video, 'Just talked to the general manager of Chevy, and they told me they never should have sold me that car, and that they were in the wrong, and they're sorry.' Several folks who replied to her video concurred with the general manager's statement that the dealership was in the wrong. One user penned, 'You have a lawsuit!' urging Maillet to take legal action against the business. Another echoed this sentiment, stating their admittance of fault may ultimately assist with her claim: 'Call a lawyer - IMMEDIATELY! They just admitted fault and incompetence. Go get your coin.' 'Huge huge lawsuit. You cannot release a car with compromised brakes,' someone else wrote. Others on TikTok shared experiences working in auto sales that were similar to Maillet's close call. 'I hated doing used cars because of stuff like this. Sales only want to do enough to get it to roll off the lot. Who cares about customer safety right?' According to this user, refusal to perform component swaps is a common occurrence. 'Happens all the time. And the service department always gets the blame.' However, there was someone else who appeared confused about the hate directed toward third-party vehicle options. 'What's wrong with aftermarket Brakes? There are millions of cars/trucks on the road with non oem brakes on them and have no issues.' Motor1 has reached out to Maillet via TikTok comment for further information. The story will be updated should she respond. Now Trending 'I've Got a Scat, I Love It:' Dealership Customer Asks About a 'Shelby' They Spotted on the Lot. Then They Found Out the Price 'How Bad Is This?' Woman Hears a Clink While She's Driving. Then She Pulls Over and IDs the Real Source of the Problem Get the best news, reviews, columns, and more delivered straight to your inbox, daily. back Sign up For more information, read our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use . Share this Story Facebook X LinkedIn Flipboard Reddit WhatsApp E-Mail Got a tip for us? Email: tips@ Join the conversation ( )


Hamilton Spectator
2 days ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Man convicted of manslaughter charged in Burlington carjacking
A man previously convicted of manslaughter was among two suspects arrested by Halton police after an alleged carjacking in Burlington on June 25. At around 5:35 p.m. Wednesday, a woman was driving her Porsche Macan SUV in the area of Guelph Line and Derry Road when she became concerned that she was being followed by a grey Chevrolet pickup truck, Halton police said in a press release. When the victim pulled into the parking lot of Kilbride Public School it's alleged two masked men got out of the truck and pointed handguns at her. Police said the victim immediately surrendered the Porsche, at which point the suspects took both vehicles and left. The victim was not injured. Halton police were contacted and began searching for the two vehicles. About one hour later, police said, officers found the Porsche abandoned in a parking lot in the area of Tobyn and Kilmer drives . The Chevrolet pickup truck was also found in the same area. As the investigation progressed, police said, officers were able to identify the two suspects. On June 26 at around 1:10 p.m., both suspects were located in the area of Walkers Line and Kilmer Drive . A 33-year-old Burlington man was immediately taken into custody, with police also reportedly seizing illicit drugs and two loaded firearms. Police allege the second man fled the area in a Volkswagen SUV, but this vehicle was soon found in Burlington's Sherwood Forest Park and an arrest was made. After the arrest, police said, Freddy, a Halton Police Services dog, and his handler were conducting a search in a wooded area of Sherwood Forest Park when the dog's paw touched a firearm, allegedly discarded by the suspect. The gun went off, injuring the dog's foot. Police said Freddy received medical attention and is expected to make a full recovery. Halton Police Chief Stephen Tanner said in a media release that this incident is troubling for multiple reasons. 'I am deeply concerned by the escalating level of violence and the use of loaded firearms in the commission of these crimes,' he said. 'Let me be perfectly clear — this type of criminal behaviour will not be tolerated in our community. If convicted, I am hopeful the courts will impose substantial sentences that reflect the serious and dangerous nature of these offences.' The chief said he was also concerned about the backgrounds of the individuals now charged. He noted the 33-year-old Burlington suspect was convicted of manslaughter in 2018 for an armed home invasion in which a woman was shot and killed. 'He was sentenced to 10 years, but released early after receiving 16 months of credit for pre-sentence custody,' said Tanner. 'At the time of Wednesday's carjacking, he was out on statutory parole.' Tanner said the 32-year-old Oakville man arrested in Sherwood Forest Park was bound by multiple probation orders and a release order related to firearms offences. The two suspects face a number of charges, including robbery with a firearm, pointing a firearm, stealing a vehicle using violence and unauthorized possession of a weapon. During the investigation, police also reportedly seized a 3D printer and 3D printed firearms (ghost guns), along with a vehicle reprogramming device. Anyone with information regarding this investigation is asked to contact Halton police at 905-825-4777 ext. 2316 . Tips can also be provided anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or online at . Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .