Arrest warrants obtained in February Twisted Griffin incident

Story by Patti Brown & Barb Boyer Buck

The Estes Park Police have secured three arrest warrants for David Anthony Morales, wanted for allegedly providing alcohol to minors at a closed business and offenses relating to sex offender registration.

In February 2025, the Estes Park Police Department received a report of a party hosted by Morales at the Twisted Griffin Pub and Restaurant, located at 247 W. Elkhorn Ave, where alcohol was allegedly served to minors by Morales.

The warrants are for two counts of failure to register as a sex offender, a class 5 felony; nine counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, a first-degree misdemeanor; and five counts of unlawful acts, a second-degree misdemeanor.

When the alleged incident occurred, the Twisted Griffin had just permanently closed. It had been owned by David Bard. Bards also owned and operated the Hyland Bard gift shop and the Griffin’s Nest Coffee and Tea Pub in Estes Park.

According to EPPD, a total of fourteen underage victims were identified and interviewed. During the investigation, it was discovered that Morales failed to register as a sex offender as required by Colorado State Law upon moving out of Estes Park following this incident.

In 2010, Weld District Court Judge Thomas Quammen sentenced Morales to 12 years in prison, followed by 10 years of sex-offender specific intensive supervised probation.

According to court records, Morales was initially charged with sex assault, overcoming a victim’s will, and sexual assault against a victim who was incapable of appraising conditions for an attack in 2008, according to court records. As part of a plea agreement, he pleaded guilty to second-degree assault and attempted sexual assault.

Estes Park Police believe that Morales is currently living in the Denver area. They ask the public to contact local law enforcement immediately with any information that could lead to his arrest. Morales’ most recent sex offender registration photo is attached.

According to EPPD Chief Ian Stewart, “This was a complex investigation requiring many interviews, hours of evidence review, and working non-stop to eventually secure the appropriate arrest warrants to bring the case to a successful conclusion. I am very proud of the work our team has done.”