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Basalt cops charge 13-year-old boy for vehicle break-ins

Scott Condon
The Aspen Times
Aspen, CO Colorado

BASALT ” A 13-year-old Basalt boy was arrested Friday after allegedly admitting to entering and taking items from seven vehicles in the midvalley May 20-22, according to Basalt Police Sgt. Stu Curry.

The boy, whose name wasn’t released, allegedly took $400 cash from one vehicle and $160 from another, Curry said. Assorted items were taken from other vehicles.

The boy lives on Park Circle with his mother. He allegedly targeted vehicles around his neighborhood, the Valley Pines area and the Mid-Valley Clinic. If the vehicles were locked, he moved on and found others that were unlocked. “It is the classic case of a crime of opportunity,” Curry said, stressing that people should lock their vehicles, even if they parked in front of their homes.



The boy was striking in late afternoon and was spotted on some of the occasions, but was not reported to the police, according to Curry. It wasn’t until officers canvassed the area that they learned the boy had been spotted entering or trying to enter vehicles on multiple occasions.

The woman who had $400 cash stolen provided police with information that helped lead to the suspect. He allegedly confessed and said he used the cash to go to Target and buy an iPod and other videos. Police returned the items to the store so that the cash could be returned to the victims.




The boy was charged with first-degree criminal trespass and will be prosecuted in the juvenile court system.

scondon@aspentimes.com