CLEAR CREEK COUNTY, Colo. — Highway 103 reopened in Clear Creek County, and the shelter-in-place was lifted Friday morning for nearby residents after an overnight manhunt for a suspect believed to be associated with several trespassing incidents.
The Clear Creek County Sheriff's Office confirmed that a man was taken into custody Friday morning and is receiving medical treatment in Idaho Springs.
Denver7 cameras were rolling when the suspect passed by Friday morning. Jenny Fulton, the public information officer for the sheriff's office, confirmed he was the suspect after we shared a photo of him with law enforcement.
The incident began Thursday evening when the sheriff's office took to social media to warn residents after it received three reports this week of a suspicious person trespassing on private properties in the area of Highway 103. Surveillance cameras captured the suspect wearing a black mask and carrying a firearm.
At one property, the man reportedly told the property owner via camera surveillance that he was with the US Forest Service before disconnecting the camera.
According to the sheriff's office, the man is accused of trespassing on two properties on Peaceful Valley Lane in Idaho Springs between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. Tuesday. He allegedly stole more than $2,000 worth of items from one of the properties and caused roughly $2,000 worth of damage.
Between 9:20 a.m. and 10:10 a.m. Thursday, the man reportedly trespassed on a property on Ute Creek Road in Idaho Springs. The sheriff's office said he was seen loading and cocking a firearm.
The suspect was associated with a white Ford Escape SUV that does not have license plates.
In an update Thursday, the sheriff's office said the suspect vehicle was spotted stopped along Highway 103 just after 6 p.m. Law enforcement responded to set up a perimeter, but the suspect drove off.
After a "short pursuit," the vehicle crashed near mile marker 3, according to the sheriff's office. The suspect got out of the vehicle and ran away.
Deputies began their search for the driver, shutting down Highway 103 and issuing a shelter-in-place order for residents within a 1-mile radius of the crash.
The Idaho Springs Police Department, Jefferson County Sheriff's Office and Golden Police Department assisted with the search. Law enforcement also used a drone and two K9s.
Though it was not confirmed at the time, the sheriff's office said it was "working on the assumption [that] this is the same suspect" from the trespassing incidents and that he may be armed.
The man was described as a Black man with a slim build and nearly six feet tall. During the incidents, he was wearing tactical colors (green and black) and a tactical belt.
In an update at 11:30 p.m. Thursday, the sheriff's office said the suspect was still at large after the K9s lost his scent at the creek. He was taken into custody sometime Friday morning, the sheriff's office confirmed.
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