Colorado couple rescued from camper after thief stole truck while they slept inside
A Colorado couple sleeping in a camper woke up to a thief driving away with their vehicle while they were still attached, police said.
A man, woman and their dog planned to spend the night in their friend's camper parked outside an apartment until they woke up confused and startled when they realized their camper was moving around 3 a.m. on June 11, according to the Boulder Police Department.
Police received a tearful call about the carjacking from the couple, who kept quiet to go unnoticed by the suspect, the department wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
Officers soon located the truck but when they activated their emergency lights and siren, the suspect sped away. Police chased the driver until the vehicle reached a dead-end street and had no choice but to stop. Officials ordered the driver to exit the vehicle out and told the couple it was safe to go outside.
Video shows police rescue couple from RV
The pair and their dog safely exited the vehicle after the intense incident. Police body camera footage shared by the department shows the moment the victims were rescued.
"Alright are you guys okay?" an officer said.
"Yes we are," one of the victims replied.
"We’re incredibly thankful no one was injured in this terrifying situation, and they very much could have been," the department said. "Honestly, we’re also thankful our officers were able to safely coordinate such a swift arrest during this high-risk traffic stop of an armed suspect."
Suspect was previously convicted of motor vehicle theft
The suspect was arrested and booked on several charges including second-degree motor vehicle theft, two counts of reckless endangerment, vehicular eluding and carrying a concealed knife, according to the department.
He had previously been arrested for three other motor vehicle thefts and convicted for one of them. He was also charged with failure to appear for court on a previous theft case, the department said.
Video from the arrest also shows the suspect asking, "What seems to be the problem officer? Will you just tell me?"
"The truck that you just took had the owners in the back," the officer said.