A white van stolen in Clifton has been recovered in California and the case has been solved.

We see a lot of reports about crime in the Grand Valley with authorities looking for suspects captured in grainy surveillance photos. The hope is that someone out there will know something about the crime, or, perhaps, see something in the photo that may help identify the perpetrator. Sometimes investigations lead to arrests, and sometimes they come up empty. Here is one that ended in success.

The Crime

On April 1, we reported the news that a white van had been stolen from the Dos Hombres parking lot in Clifton.  A crystal clear surveillance video showed the suspect approach the van, climb in, and take off in the stolen vehicle - and it happened fast. In about two minutes or less, the van had been swiped and was headed west. While the video was, in fact, high quality, the suspect was wearing a face mask, which made identification impossible.

Not only was the van stolen, but inside the vehicle, there were credit cards belonging to the victim that were used in Utah. At the time of the report, authorities did not know if the van itself had been taken to Utah, though it seemed that was likely the case.

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Case Closed

Late Wednesday night, the Mesa County Sheriff's Office reported the stolen van had been located in Los Angeles, Califonia. Charges are pending against the suspect. It took a couple of weeks, but the thief was captured and the owner of the van should be getting it back.

The Mesa County Sheriff's Office expressed thanks to everyone who shared the post about the stolen van and sent in tips. Solving crimes like this may seem like a long shot at times, but it's really nice to hear about a successful investigation and a crime solved.

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