Aspen burglary suspect seeks plea deal
Aspen police working to identify missing accomplice
Editor’s note: Unless individuals hold positions of public trust or there is imminent danger of harm to the public (e.g., active shooter) or there is an exceptional circumstance, suspects arrested/charged will not be named/identified until there is a conviction or a plea deal is taken.
One of five suspects accused of burglarizing an Aspen watch store may pursue a plea deal.
The suspect’s court proceedings were postponed on Wednesday after his attorney asked the judge to work toward a deal with prosecution at a later date.
The suspect, who told authorities he is a 41-year-old from Buenos Aires, is accused of tunneling through the walls of Forré Fine Art gallery and Wayan Indonesian restaurant with four other individuals to access a vault in Avi and Co. watch shop, containing watches worth up to $400,000. The burglary occurred on the night between Nov. 10 and Nov. 11.
“We would ask for a setover or possibly, a longer setover,” said Justie Nicol, the council appointed for the suspect, requesting postponement.
Judge Laura Makar granted the request and scheduled an arraignment for the suspect on March 3. She also granted Nicol’s request to schedule another bond hearing, saying there could still be information she hadn’t yet seen that could help determine bond. Makar scheduled the hearing for Jan. 21.
Four men, one of whom was the 41-year-old, were detained once Vail police recognized their vehicle a day after the burglary.
A fifth suspect caught in Avi and Co. surveillance footage was never detained.
“We are still actively investigating the identity of the other individual,” Aspen Assistant Police Chief Bill Linn said.
Linn said they are conducting a forensic investigation to work toward identifying the final suspect. They have leads, but they don’t yet have a list of names, he said.
“It’s not as easy as it was capturing the first four,” he said, “because we’re just having to do old-fashion police work and dig into it and make that identification.”
On the night of the burglary, the group had two close shaves with the police while they tunneled through the adjacent businesses of the watch store, using saws, settling torches, gas tanks, crow bars, and a ladder, according to a police affidavit. They were not identified while in the businesses.
Once inside the watch store, they did not successfully break into the vault but fled in the early hours of the morning in their rental car, according to the affidavit.
Makar previously denied a request to lower the 41-year-old suspect’s $100,000 bond on Dec. 20. Prosecuting attorney James Stone had presented evidence to suggest that the suspect had lied about his identity when first detained by authorities and had DNA found in a previous crime scene in New York last fall.
Along with the 41-year-old suspect, a 34-year-old from Peru, a 35-year-old from Chile, and 43-year-old from Chile were detained.
The 35-year-old from Chile posted bond last month for $5,000, which was lowered from $25,000 by Makar because he was the only suspect who truthfully disclosed his identity to law enforcement. He was taken from jail by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The 34-year-old from Peru and the 43-year-old from Chile did not receive bond reduction in Monday’s Pitkin County court proceedings. Their bonds remain at $100,000 and $25,000, respectively. They are still in jail with the 41-year-old from Buenos Aires.
Aspen Police Detective Laura Turner wrote in an affidavit that the burglary mirrored a 2021 burglary of Aspen’s Louis Vuitton, which was carried out by a “South American Theft Gang,” who would target high-end retail stores in the United States.
The 41-year-old from Buenos Aires was charged with three felony counts of second degree burglary, one felony count of criminal attempt to commit theft, one felony account of attempt to influence a public servant, one felony count of criminal mischief, and two misdemeanors.
The 43-year-old from Chile was charged with three felony counts of second degree burglary, one felony count of criminal attempt to commit theft, one felony count of attempt to influence a public servant, and one felony count of criminal mischief.
The 34-year-old from Peru was charged with three felony counts of conspiracy to commit second degree burglary and one felony count of attempt to influence a public servant.
The 35-year-old from Chile, who posted bond and was taken by ICE, was charged with three felony counts of conspiracy to commit burglary.
Skyler Stark-Ragsdale can be reached at 970-429-9152 or email him at sstark-ragsdale@aspentimes.com.
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