COMMERCE CITY, Colo. — An individual who had their car stolen was able to track the vehicle to a Commerce City property where police found 12 other stolen cars Saturday morning that may be linked to several cases in the Denver area.
The large property, located at 10100 Highway 2, is subleased to more than a dozen different mechanics and truckers, according to the Adams County Sheriff’s Office.
Overhead images of the location viewed in Google Maps show the property is home to multiple car repair shops, equipment rentals, and what appears to be several broken-down vehicles parked along the sides of the property.
After receiving a call from the victim Saturday morning, the sheriff’s office responded to the property and discovered 12 other confirmed stolen vehicles parked in the lot. Additionally, deputies found four other vehicles with missing or damaged VINs and various vehicle parts, the sheriff’s office said.
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Authorities seized the stolen vehicles and towed them to different lots around the Denver area. The vehicles appear to be tied to multiple cases in Denver and Lakewood, according to the Sheriff’s office.
Investigators suspect an organized group is working together at the facility but they say pinning down the suspects may be difficult due to the many different businesses and individuals that share the property.
Car thefts in Colorado and the Denver area are on the rise. Data released last week by the Colorado Metropolitan Auto Theft Task Force show an average of more than 100 cars are stolen per day throughout the state.
Colorado was the No. 1 state in the nation for car theft rate per 100,000 residents in 2020, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau.