A 29-year-old man and a 30-year-old man, both of Imperial, have been arrested in connection with the theft of a trailer from outside a home in the 1400 block of Hwy. JJ south of Valles Mines. The trailer allegedly was used to steal a utility vehicle in the De Soto area, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office reported.
The trailer was stolen March 2 and recovered March 9 in the 100 block of Northward Trails Drive in Imperial. The 30-year-old was arrested after he allegedly was found with the homemade, flatbed trailer, which was valued at about $1,000, the report said.
Investigators believe the men used the trailer on March 2 to steal a 2015 Can Am UTV from a home in the 3000 block of Hwy. V east of Valles Mines, according to the report.
The trailer was stolen at about 4:45 a.m., and a man told deputies he reportedly was driving on Hwy. V at about 5 a.m. and saw the suspects outside the home pushing the UTV onto a trailer. The UTV, which was valued at about $12,500, had not been recovered as of March 22, but the trailer was returned to its owner, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Grant Bissell said.
On March 10, a Sheriff’s Office detective arrested the 29-year-old for his alleged involvement in the theft of the trailer and UTV, according to the report.
The two men were released pending application or warrants. The Sheriff’s Office is seeking charges against them through the Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office for stealing, Bissell said.