SAM Magazine—Monarch Mountain, Colo., Jan. 7, 2015—A 15-year-old male was arrested yesterday by the Chaffee County Sheriff's Office on charges stemming from two recent attempted sexual assaults on teenage girls at Monarch ski area.

SAM Magazine—Monarch Mountain, Colo., Jan. 7, 2015—A 15-year-old male was arrested yesterday by the Chaffee County Sheriff's Office on charges stemming from two recent attempted sexual assaults on teenage girls at Monarch ski area.

On Jan. 2, the sheriff's office said it was seeking a male suspect who rode the lift with the victims, then followed them down the mountain to a point where he then forced them into the trees and tried to sexually assault them. In the second incident, the suspect went further: he pulled a handgun and fired the weapon in an attempt to coerce the victim to cooperate.

The first incident happened on Dec. 19, the second on Jan. 1. Sergeant Andy Rohrich said the Jan. 1 incident took place off of the Panorama Lift, the only lift at Monarch that begins mid-mountain. The location of the Dec. 19 incident was not reported.

In both incidents, the victims had boarded a chairlift alone, and were able to escape before the assailant fled.

The resort's staff was alerted to the situation and took part in seeking to identify the assailant. “Everyone had their eyes out for this person,” said Jessie Smith, Monarch spokeswoman.

The suspect, described as a Caucasian male, is being charged with felony menacing, aggravated criminal extortion, enticement of a child, false imprisonment, two counts of criminal attempt to commit sexual assault, and two counts of criminal attempt to commit second-degree kidnapping and harassment.

Officials said the investigation is continuing, but that no further arrests are expected.

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