On Sunday evening, a Longmont Police officer’s intuition led to the location of a stolen vehicle and a high speed chase.
The officer was on a routine patrol when, at approximately 10:00 p.m., he noticed an early 1990s model white Honda Accord parked at a gas station. At the time, a man was filling the car with gas and a woman was standing outside the passenger door, said Robin Ericson, communications and marketing manager of the Longmont Police Department, or LPD.
According to Ericson, the vehicle had what appeared to be blue painter tape or paint on the hood and bumper. Recognizing this, the officer became suspicious the vehicle was stolen.
Running the vehicle’s license plate confirmed the officer’s suspicions — the license plate was expired and it belonged to a white GMC Jimmy.
Upon this realization, the officer attempted to conduct a traffic stop of the vehicle and activated his overhead lights in the area of 19th Avenue and Jewel Drive. The suspects evaded the officer’s attempt to stop them by accelerating rapidly down Meadow Drive toward 17th Avenue and driving in a reckless manner.
The vehicle, after disregarding a stop sign, turned eastbound on 17th Avenue.
“Due to the concern for the safety of innocent bystanders brought on by (the suspects’) driving behavior, the officer deactivated his lights and sirens and slowed down,” Ericson said.
After discontinuing pursuit, the officer returned to the gas station to obtain video footage of the vehicle and suspects.
Anyone with information regarding this case is asked to call LPD at 303-651-8555 and reference Longmont Police Report #22-227.
