(Colorado Springs) – A school employee helped law enforcement stop a suspect who police said attempted to steal several cars while being pursued by investigators in Colorado Springs.
According to the Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD), the suspect, a minor, was being sought for his alleged involvement in a homicide. Smash & Grab on Wednesday, October 15at a licensed firearms business in the 300 block of Main Street in the Security-Widefield area.
On Thursday, October 16, investigators with CSPD’s Armed Violent Offenders Unit obtained a search warrant for an apartment in the 1600 block of North Murray Boulevard, near Palmer Park Boulevard, after identifying a suspect in connection with the burglary.
At the apartment, another minor was taken into custody without incident after they were seen wearing clothing that matched what was seen in surveillance footage from the incident. Further investigation led investigators to discover that the main suspect associated with the apartment was attending school at the time.
When the suspect returned from a field trip, he was alerted by another student and fled the school before attempting to steal several vehicles that were stopped on westbound Vickers Drive at the intersection with North Academy Boulevard.
CSPD said the suspect approached an area school employee, who was following investigators in an attempt to assist, got into his vehicle and attempted to drive away.
“The employee resisted, preventing the vehicle from starting,” CSPD wrote. He added, “Investigators quickly intervened, took the suspect out of the car, and detained him without any further incident.”
The minor detained at the apartment faces several charges, including second-degree burglary, auto theft and criminal mischief, police said. In addition to these charges, the minor who evaded investigators also faces charges of attempted robbery and kidnapping.
CSPD believes there may be additional victims of these two minors and is asking anyone who may have been the victim of an attempted carjacking at the intersection of Vickers Dr. and North Academy Blvd., or other crimes related to this case, to call CSPD at (719) 444-7000.
Police described the suspect who fled from investigators as a white/Hispanic male, approximately 5’7″ tall with a slim build, weighing approximately 130 pounds, short brown hair and brown eyes. The suspect was wearing a gray jacket and baggy blue jeans.
CSPD said it is continuing to investigate a shooting related to a robbery that occurred in east Colorado Springs near South Carefree Circle and North Murray Boulevard early Wednesday morning. During the shooting, the victim’s vehicle was shot at multiple times by the driver of a “dark colored box vehicle.”
Prior to the shooting, the victim had been following two suspicious vehicles after observing what appeared to be preparations for a robbery at a business near Maizeland Road and North Academy Boulevard.
One of the vehicles the victim was following, described as a dark-colored sedan, was allegedly used during the smash-and-grab and was impounded. Investigators also recovered a third stolen vehicle used during the October 16 burglary.