Man arrested for Aspen vehicle theft

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.

A Glenwood Springs man was arrested on Wednesday evening for felony vehicle theft after allegedly stealing his aunt’s 2013 Toyota Highlander in Aspen on Sunday.

The suspect was arrested in De Beque before being transferred to the Pitkin County Jail that Wednesday night with a bond set at $5,100, according to an affidavit. He allegedly stole the car from his aunt’s residence.

He was charged with second-degree motor theft, a class four felony, and driving without a license, a class A traffic infraction. 

Leading up to the Wednesday arrest, De Beque Marshal Joel Korver told Aspen Police Corporal Ryan Turner that he had located and stopped the stolen vehicle in De Beque, according to the affidavit. 

Turner told Aspen Police Officer Saul Gonzalez about the stolen vehicle, who contacted the owner of the vehicle.

Gonzalez learned from the owner that she was on vacation when the vehicle was stolen. She had left the vehicle at home, when her neighbor informed her that she had seen the owner’s nephew enter the vehicle and leave the area on Sunday, according to the affidavit. 

The owner told Gonzalez that she had not authorized anyone to drive the vehicle and said that she believed it was stolen. She reported the incident to the Aspen Police Department, and an announcement was made for officer’s in the area to be on the lookout, according to the affidavit. 

Turner contacted Korver on Wednesday and asked him to arrest the suspect and have the vehicle impounded. Korver and Parachute Police Officer Evelyn Gonzalez arrested the suspect and transferred him to the Garfield County Jail in Glenwood Springs, according to the affidavit. 

Gonzalez and Turner met with the Parachute officer and the marshal at approximately 9:50 p.m., Wednesday in the parking lot of the jail and completed the transfer, before transporting the suspect to the Pitkin County Jail at 10:52 p.m.

Skyler Stark-Ragsdale can be reached at 970-429-9152 or email him at sstark-ragsdale@aspentimes.com.