BOULDER, Colo. — Three suspects in multiple crimes between Sep. 2020 and Feb. 2021 that caused an estimated $115,000 in damages were identified in part due to their affinity for unicorns, Boulder County Sheriff's Office said Thursday.
The sheriff's office said 21-year-old Shane Michael Phillips and 36-year-old Marie Alins Roman were arrested and 44-year-old Adrain Cisco Quintana is still wanted in connection to multiple vehicle thefts, porch piracy and vehicle trespasses.
>Video above from June: More than 12 cars vandalized with hate speech and racist symbols in Denver neighborhood.
The sheriff's office said the investigation was named "Operation Unicorn" because of their affection for leaving items depicting the mythical creature such as drawings and figurines.
Investigators were able to link the group to crimes in 12 different Denver metro area jurisdictions, according to the sheriff's office.
The suspects face 53 different criminal charges including:
- 28 counts of first-degree motor vehicle trespass
- 12 counts of aggravated motor vehicle theft
- Unlawful distribution and possession of dangerous drugs and drug paraphernalia.
- Identity theft
- Theft
- Vehicular eluding
- Criminal mischief
- Theft of license plates
- Second-degree criminal trespass of property
In total, the sheriff's office said at least 46 locations within Boulder County were impacted by the alleged crimes including in the cities of Boulder and Longmont, and the town of Lyons.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Northern Colorado Crime Stoppers at info@nococrimestoppers.com or 1-800-222-8477. Tipsters can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward of up to $2,000.
Calls to the Northern Colorado Crime Stoppers are not recorded and the phone does not have caller ID, according to the NoCoCrimestoppers website. A coordinator completes a tips information form, makes initial inquiries and passes the information along to investigators.
A two-way dialogue system online also allows tipsters to come back and provide additional information and ask questions.
A community board of directors meets regularly to evaluate arrests and determine reward amounts.
> More information about Northern Colorado Crime Stoppers can be found here.
> Additional NoCo Crime Stoppers bulletins can be found here.
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