Police pursuit of stolen car ends with juvenile driver's arrest
Law enforcement used a car owner's cellphone app and a police helicopter to track the stolen car's flight from officers through the eastern metro area last week. Five youths from inside the car, ranging in age from 13 to 16 years old, were eventually caught.
Only one was arrested and charged - the 14-year-old driver.
"The other four juveniles were turned over to their parents," the Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office stated in a press release.
Charges may be filed against the remaining four at a later date.
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The incident began at 6:43 p.m. Wednesday in Aurora. A woman called 9-1-1 to say someone pointed a gun at her and took her car from her garage in the 9400 block of East Iliff Avenue.
That woman was able track the vehicle with an application on her cellphone and showed deputies the car's current location. Other deputies located the car and attempted to pull it over near the intersection of Interstate 225 and Mississippi Avenue. The driver refused and accelerated northbound with deputies in pursuit.
Deputies lost sight of the fleeing car near Interstate 70 and I-225.
Again, the car owner's tracking app was consulted and updated locations were aired. "Air 1," the Denver Police Department's helicopter, found and followed the vehicle until ACSO's Special Response Team deputies and Aurora SWAT personnel could get to the area.
The car was abandoned in the Green Valley Ranch area near East 52nd Avenue and Netherland Street. "Air 1" led responding officers to the driver.
A backpack allegedly belonging to the driver was found inside the car. Inside the backpack, deputies reportedly found a Glock-replica pellet gun.
The 14-year-old driver is facing burglary, robbery, aggravated vehicle theft, eluding, reckless driving, driving without a license and criminal mischief charges. Police are not releasing his identity because of his age; a judge may later rescind the driver's juvenile status, at which point his identity could be released.
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ACSO's Special Response Team was formed in 2021 to allow the Sheriff's Office flexibility to saturate areas deemed high crime areas by the office's crime analysts, the office stated in its press release.
