On January 10, 2025, the Colorado State Patrol was notified by the Aurora Police Department regarding an armed carjacking that occurred on January 9 in Aurora. The suspect threatened the victim with a firearm and stole a black 2008 Subaru Impreza.

Automated license plate readers later detected the stolen vehicle in Glenwood Springs before it was spotted traveling westbound on Interstate 70.  The Colorado State Patrol Trooper and Deputies with the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office Major Offender Task Force, began searching the interstate and soon located the Subaru near the Palisade exit. The driver proceeded to the Walmart located at 2881 North Avenue in Grand Junction where he was arrested after exiting the store.

The suspect initially provided a false name and identification.  Using a mobile fingerprint reader, he was quickly identified as 25-year-old Andrew Gabriel Gomez Martinez of Aurora.  He had two active warrants out of Arapahoe County. 

Andrew Gabriel Gomez Martinez was taken into custody without incident and was transported to the Mesa County Detention Facility.  He is currently being held on two warrants out of Arapahoe County and charges of 2nd Degree Motor Vehicle Theft, Criminal Impersonation, and Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument.

The collaboration and teamwork among multiple agencies in this arrest exemplify the positive law enforcement relationships on the Western Slope. Every agency involved, including the Mesa County Sheriff's Office, Colorado State Patrol, and various local, state, and federal partners, played a crucial role in preventing a violent offender from remaining in our Mesa County community.