A man accused of stealing a car before running onto a Boulder roof in July has pleaded not guilty and has been set for trial in September.
Jason Johnson, 36, pleaded not guilty to first-degree motor vehicle theft and possession of controlled substances with the intent to distribute, according to court records. Johnson also has an ongoing burglary case, in which he’s charged with second-degree burglary, identity theft, two counts of first-degree trespass and theft of $300 though $1,000.
Johnson is set for a motions hearings on both cases on Aug. 8 and has a three-day jury trial set for Sept. 16, according to court records. Johnson is currently in custody on a $35,000 bond.
Johnson’s co-defendant, Ashley Cotton, took a plea deal in September in which she pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit aggravated motor vehicle theft and intent to distribute a controlled substance. She received three-year and two-year sentences that will be served concurrently in prison.
At 7:30 a.m. July 25, Boulder police responded to a call of a stolen car. Upon their arrival, Johnson got out of the car at a gas station, fled to the roof of a Firestone Auto Center at 3395 30th St. and told police he was armed, according to Boulder police.
Boulder police evacuated the building, enacted a shelter-in-place order for the surrounding area and closed off nearby streets. Police also called in Boulder Fire-Rescue, SWAT, AMR and the Boulder police drone team to surveil Johnson from the roof.
While negotiating with Johnson, police contacted Cotton, the driver of the vehicle in which Johnson later said the two had been “joyriding.” Cotton was arrested and the vehicle was allegedly found to contain multiple bags of methamphetamine, a scale and 12.19 grams of methamphetamine.
