“It may not be the best idea to have an Uber pick you up AT the crime scene,” said a Facebook post from the Wheat Ridge Police Department in Colorado last week.
This post included video footage from last Thursday of a burglary suspect attempting to flee from the scene of a crime in a vehicle from the rideshare service. According to the post, officers found $8,600 worth of Milwaukee brand tools stolen from Blue Sky Plumbing.
Authorities were called to the scene by a 911 caller who saw a hole in the fence and said they had security footage of a man stealing tools. After arriving at the scene quickly, police contacted an Uber driver waiting in the area.
“The driver said he was picking up a man named Jose at Blue Sky Plumbing, and his passenger was walking to the car,” said the department.
Officers were able to intercept him in the area, though he gave a fake name. At the police department, a fingerprint scan confirmed his true identity.
“We’ll be recommending a felony theft charge, along with six misdemeanor charges to our partners at the First Judicial DA's Office of Colorado,” said police.
Law & Crime reported that Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office jail records indicate that a man with the first name “Jose” was charged with larceny greater than $2,000, criminal trespass, false reporting to authorities, and possession of burglary tools. Records accessed by Audacy indicated that the Wheat Ridge Police Department arrested a 26-year-old named Jose Guadalupe Perez-Gallardo last Friday and that he is expected in court this Friday.