The Weld County Sheriff's Office is warning residents about recent prowls and thefts that have been occurring from vehicles near I-25, particularly on the south side of the county.

Over the past few weeks, Weld deputies responded to two separate incidents involving such crimes.

In the first case, tools and a radio were stolen out of a vehicle that was left on the side of East I-25 Frontage Road near Weld County Road 6, east of Erie. The owner said that his car had broke down on September 4, so that's why he had to leave it on the side of the road. When the man returned two days later to recover his vehicle, the belongings listed above were reportedly missing from inside.

The second theft took place in Del Camino on Saturday, September 11. In this case, the owner's vehicle had also broken down, so he was forced to leave it on I-25, near Colo. 119. According to the police report, when he returned to retrieve the car, there were two Latino men inside. The two men fled when they noticed the owner approaching the vehicle. It was later realized that tools had been taken from the automobile.

Following the second incident, deputies located the suspect vehicle, but ultimately had to halt a high-speed pursuit due to public safety concerns. The suspect vehicle has been identified as a silver 2005 Toyota 4Runner with Colorado license plate 057 LUB.

Should your car break down on the highway, the Weld County Sheriff’s Office suggests locking the vehicle and taking all possessions with you, if it needs to be left at the location. To prevent this type of crime from happening, police also encourage residents to stay with their vehicle until help arrives.

Anyone with information regarding these or any other crime is asked to call the Weld County Sheriff’s Office at (970) 356-4015 or Northern Colorado Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477). Tips can also be submitted through the Crime Stoppers website at www.crimeshurt.com.

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