WELD COUNTY, Colo. — Dozens of vehicles are being stolen each year in Weld County — in particular in a rural area near Fort Lupton — and the trend has continued through the first two months of 2020, authorities said Friday.
In January and February, the Weld County Sheriff's Office received 20 reports of stolen vehicles in the county. Last year, 107 vehicles were stolen in Weld County, up from 95 in 2018 and 100 in 2017.
Many of the vehicles have been stolen in an area east of Fort Lupton to Hudson, and south to Lochbuie, according to the sheriff's office. The area also has become a dumping ground for abandoned vehicles, with 19 vehicles recovered this year that were stolen in other counties.
The good news is that most of the stolen vehicles in Weld County are being recovered. Last year, 101 of the 107 stolen vehicles were found, according to the sheriff's office. But officials this week warned residents to lock their vehicles and don't leave them unattended with the keys in the ignition.
“Many of the reports we’re taking are crimes of opportunity,” Weld County Sheriff’s Office Patrol Division Capt. Alan Caldwell said in a news release.
Anyone with information about the vehicle thefts and burglaries 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.