A 26-year-old man is accused of stealing multiple vehicles from a local auto dealer over Halloween weekend. He was captured after attempting to steal a county tanker.
Roscoe Hampson, address unknown, was jailed at the Montezuma County jail on a $50,000 bond. He faces charges including burglary, vehicle theft, criminal mischief, reckless endangerment and eluding.
According to a five-page Cortez Police Department report, Hampson allegedly stole a 2005 Ford Explorer, a 2003 Dodge Ram and a 2006 Mazda 6 from Sunshine Motors on Main Street over the Halloween weekend. Authorities received the complaint at 9:16 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 3.
The business owner said the keys to the stolen vehicles were stored in a coffee can. He said "somebody that knew his routine" would have to be responsible, adding that no one knew where the keys were stored.
An hour later at 10:16 a.m., police recovered one of the stolen vehicles from a residence on the 200 block of West Second Street. At 11:13 a.m., police recovered a second vehicle at Sleeping Ute Apartments on South Madison.
Police were dispatched to the 600 block of North Harrison Street just before noon on Monday, Nov. 3. Police said the suspect was wearing a doctor's mask when he switched out the Mazda 6 and took a fourth vehicle, a 2013 Ford Explorer.
At 12:24 p.m. the same day, a Montezuma County sheriff's deputy announced that he was in pursuit of the 2013 Ford Explorer. The suspect led authorities on a chase from Walmart to the Montezuma County shop on Colorado 145.
There, authorities said the suspect was captured while attempting to steal a 1982 International tanker truck, according to police.
tbaker@cortezjournal.com
