Only Some Sentimental Veterans' Boots Recovered From Stolen Truck
By Jeff Todd
WHEAT RIDGE, Colo. (CBS4) - It's taken nearly two months but a Colorado veterans organization was finally allowed to recover property that was inside a stolen vehicle, which is still part of evidence in a high-speed chase.
"I'm really elated, it's been such a long haul and a long pull and we got some of it back. We didn't get all of it back," said Wes Love, a member of Boots 66.
"I was happy that so much of Boots 66 stuff was there but our stuff was gone. We had a tent and chairs and things we used for camping and they obviously found a use for. But that can all be replaced … everyone is alive," said Bernadette Borrego, whose truck was stolen from Wheat Ridge in October.
The truck now been deemed "totaled" and is sitting at a Fort Morgan impound lot.
Two suspects were spotted with two stolen trucks in Log Lane Village Oct. 24. The marshal tried to stop the men but they took off westbound on Interstate 76. A high-speed chase ensued with parts of Borrego's truck being used as "missiles" to be thrown at deputies and troopers.
Luke Batts and Brandon McIntosh are facing attempted murder charges for throwing items at law enforcement officers during the high-speed chase.
When Borrego's truck was stolen it was filled with items Boots 66 uses at ceremonies all over Colorado that honor fallen veterans at their high schools.
"When we get home we'll count everything we knew that was in there, cost, but it's over $9,000," Borrego said.
Many of the flags and signs were still inside the truck but only about half of the boots used during ceremonies were found. Some of the boots were donated by fallen soldiers' families to be used at ceremonies.
"I think we counted about 10 pairs and there were 22. We don't know if any of the boots recovered are from the fallen," Borrego said.
"I'm not sure how many of them belong to the deceased soldiers," Love said, but added a cataloguing process would commence when the items are taken back to Denver.
"Hopefully now they'll get to continue some of their ceremonies with some of their stuff," Borrego said.
Jeff Todd joined the CBS4 team in 2011 covering the Western Slope in the Mountain Newsroom. Since 2015 he's been working across the Front Range in the Denver Headquarters. Follow him on Twitter @CBS4Jeff.
