Alleged burglary in Colorado mountain home interrupted when homeowners arrive, police say

Residents of a home in one Colorado mountain town were shocked when they arrived home and found a masked man and his car in their garage, police say. The homeowner then got into an altercation with the suspect, who then fled, according to the Grand County Sheriff's Office.

The alleged break-in occurred around 4:30 p.m. on Friday in the Winter Park Highlands neighborhood near Tabernash, the sheriff's office said in a statement on Saturday. Now they're looking for the suspect, who's described as a white man in his 40s or 50s, who's about 6'1" with a thin build, gray hair, and a partial beard, driving a white Volvo T5 with Missouri license plate GK3 D1J.

State and local police from several nearby jurisdictions, including a SWAT team, looked for the suspect after the altercation, but have not found him and think he's no longer in Grand County.

The sheriff's office later identified the suspect as 41-year-old John William Villines. His name and photo were accessed through Missouri motor vehicle records and there's now an arrest warrant in his name.

Sheriff's office officials say that a subsequent investigation revealed that the man accessed the house through a backdoor window. The homeowner told investigators he didn't know the suspect.

CodeRED and Integrated Public Alert & Warning System alerts went out to neighbors, alerting them that there would be a large police presence in the neighborhood and a description of the suspect. The sheriff's office said on social media that if anyone sees the suspect or his vehicle, call 911 and don't approach the man or the car.