The Mesa County Sheriff’s Office, in coordination with the Colorado National Monument, has arrested two people related to a string of car break-ins at local trailheads.  

On June 2, 2022, deputies responded to assist Monument Rangers on the National Monument with a traffic stop with two men identified as Armando Roman Vasquez, 28, of New York, and Piero Boris Moras Sanchez, 30, of New York.

Deputies recovered stolen property from recent car break-ins and referred the case to the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office property crimes investigation unit. 

Investigators have determined the pair are responsible for breaking into locked cars and even disabling the alarm systems at Independence Monument trailhead, Liberty Cap Trailhead, Coke Ovens overlook, and Chipeta Golf Course.  The two also match the individuals seen in surveillance video using stolen credit cards from recent thefts at local businesses. At this point in the investigation, Roman Vasquez and Moras Sanchez are believed to be linked to four active cases of theft from auto cases.

Roman Vasquez and Moras Sanchez were arrested and are facing the following charges: 

•      •  Two counts of Theft from Motor Vehicle PO1
•      •  Two counts First Degree Criminal Trespass of Auto F5
•      •  Two counts of 2nd Deg Crim Trespass of MotorVeh - M2
•      •  Fraud ID Theft Possesses Info W/O Permission F5
•      •  Two counts of Fraud ID Theft With Intent to Defraud F4
•      •  Two counts of Fraud ID Theft Uses info to Obtain F4
•      •  Two counts of Theft $750 - $2000 – M1
•      •  Two counts of Theft $300 - $750 M2
•      •  Theft $1000-$2000 from MotorVeh - M1
•      •  Theft $2000 - $5000 F6
•      •  Criminal Mischief – Less than $300 – M3
•      •  Criminal Mischief - M2
•      •  Unauthorized Use of Financial Transaction Device F6
•      •  ID Theft - Possession W/ intent to use - M2
•      •  Criminal Attempt – PO1

Moras Sanchez was also arrested on an outstanding warrant from Alabama for similar crimes.

This case remains under investigation. For updated bond amounts, visit our website.

The Mesa County Sheriff’s Office would like to remind the public to leave all valuables at home before you hit the trail. Deputies are seeing a rise of thieves targeting parked cars at trailheads and going as far as to break windows and disable alarm systems to steal the valuables hidden inside. While deputies and rangers patrol these areas and work to find the people responsible, the public is asked to take the following precautions:

•      •  Leave all valuables at home or take them with you on the trail
•      •  Lock your car
•      •  See something suspicious? Call 911

For more outdoor recreation safety tips, visit our website.