Police body camera footage shows a man suspected of calling an Uber to pick him up following a burglary. (via Wheat Ridge (Colorado) Police Department).
Police in Colorado say they foiled the getaway of a would-be burglar who had arranged for an Uber to pick him up at the crime scene.
The Wheat Ridge Police Department announced on Twitter that the suspect is believed to have made his move on Thursday night and shared police body camera footage of the bust.
“It may not be the best idea to have an Uber pick you up AT the crime scene,” the police department wrote on X, the social media network formerly Twitter.
Police responded to a burglary call at Blue Sky Plumbing in the Denver suburb of Wheat Ridge. A 911 caller saw a hole in the fence and said they had security footage of a man stealing tools.
“Our officers got on scene quickly and contacted an Uber driver who was waiting in the area,” police said. “The driver said he was picking up a man named Jose at Blue Sky Plumbing, and his passenger was walking to the car.”
Police footage shows the man denying he was waiting for a car.
“Are you looking for an Uber?” a voice asks as the man approaches.
“Uh, no,” he says, putting his hands in his pockets.
As he appears to back away, police order him to stop. After apprehending him, officers tell him he matches the description of a suspect. The man says he is on his way to his mother’s house.
“Do you have a name?” an officer asks.
“Yeah, Raul,” the suspect replies.
“Do you have an ID on you?” the officer follows up.
“No, not right now,” the man says.
Video then indicates that officers are searching the man’s backpack.
“This backpack is full of Milwaukee tools,” one officer says.
In another part of the video, officers discuss the suspect “Jose.”
“Wheat Ridge Police Officers intercepted the man, who provided a fake name and were able to find a backpack with more than $8,600 worth of Milwaukee brand tools,” the social media post says. “The suspect was taken back to the police department, where fingerprint scanners confirmed his real identity.”
“We’ll be recommending a felony theft charge, along with six misdemeanor charges to our partners at the First Judicial DA’s Office of Colorado,” the post said.
Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office jail records indicate that a man with the first name “Jose” is charged with larceny greater than $2,000, criminal trespass, false reporting to authorities, and possession of burglary tools.
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