Suspect Breaks Into Car Parked At DIA, Targets Home In Boulder
BOULDER, Colo. (CBS4)- A thief broke into a car parked at Denver International Airport and what the suspect took from inside led him to a second crime scene 45 miles away in Boulder.
The suspect broke into a vehicle parked at DIA, took golf clubs, the vehicle registration and a garage door opener. That's when police believe he went to the home to see what else he could steal.
The thief already knew no one was home when he arrived but he didn't expect the home owner to see the break-in online thanks to an alert by the security company.
Police in Boulder were called to the home and narrowly missed the suspect.
"Unfortunately the homeowner forgot to tell us there was a time delay in the video so once we arrived the suspect was long gone," said Boulder Police spokeswoman Shannon Cordingly.
Responding officers saw a man sprinting from the area but they could not catch him. A K-9 officer lost the scent.
The man is described as a white man wearing a white sweatshirt. Nothing was stolen from the home but there was damage to the garage.
Police believe this is a chilling warning to travelers.
"It's scary because a lot of people leave their garage door openers and registration in their cars and once someone breaks in they figure out where you live and break into your home," said Cordingly.
What many don't realize, though, is that two copies of registration cards are given upon registering a vehicle with the DMV -- one with an address and one without. The one without should be kept in the car to prevent crimes like this.
Investigators are looking at additional video from the home in hopes of catching the thief before he strikes again.
DIA told CBS4 the case is extremely rare and said they haven't had a rash of vehicle break-ins in the property parking lots. DIA monitors with video surveillance and police patrols.
Investigators in Boulder also want to examine the surveillance video from DIA.
