Vehicles apparently targeted by thieves in Skyland neighborhoods

And a freezer, too

by Mark Reaman

A small crime wave rolled through the Skyland area in the last week. Several cars parked in driveways were apparently broken into and a man was found rifling through a garage freezer last weekend.

According to Mt. Crested Butte police, these cases remain under investigation, but additional help from the community identifying suspects is always greatly appreciated.

According to police department spokesperson Marjorie Trautman, on the night of Sunday, April 26, it appears that five vehicles parked unlocked in residential driveways of the Skyland subdivision were entered and items were stolen. While the values of the individual items taken were not excessive, entering a vehicle with intent to commit a crime, such as theft, is a felony offense.

“Unfortunately, this is not the only time a rash of activity such as this has occurred in our community,” Trautman said. “Last February, a number of unlocked vehicles were entered in Mt. Crested Butte. The suspect in this case was eventually arrested in another county. He was found wearing one of the stolen items. Crested Butte South residents were also the victims of similar vehicle entry and theft from vehicles a couple of summers ago. In these cases personal items and cash were stolen.”

On Saturday, May 2, a resident came home to find an intruder inside the garage looking through the freezer. The suspect, described as a large man wearing a headlamp, was startled and ran off. Trautman said that given the close proximity in location and time to the thefts from vehicles, the cases may be related.

“The police cannot stress enough how important it is to lock your vehicles, homes and anything of value. It is far easier to lock up than it is to replace something that has been stolen,” Trautman pointed out. “We are asking that anyone with information regarding suspicious persons or activity in the area to please contact the Mt. Crested Butte Police at (970) 349-6516.”