{
  "id": "2022-03-18-cu-boulder-motor-vehicle-theft",
  "slug": "cu-boulder-motor-vehicle-theft-2022-03-18",
  "institution": {
    "name": "University of Colorado Boulder",
    "shortName": "CU Boulder",
    "state": "CO",
    "type": "public-r1",
    "alertSystemName": "CU Boulder Alerts",
    "alertPlatform": "Rave Mobile Safety",
    "enrollment": 40603
  },
  "incident": {
    "date": "2022-03-18",
    "type": "motor-vehicle-theft",
    "cleryCategory": "timely-warning",
    "headline": "Vehicle stolen from a student in a campus lot; suspect arrested the same day",
    "headlinePublic": "Vehicle stolen from a student in a campus lot; suspect arrested the same day",
    "summary": "A man approached a student in Parking Lot 310 near Cheyenne-Arapaho residence hall and Wardenburg Health Center on the morning of March 18, 2022, demanded the student's keys and personal belongings, then stole the vehicle and fled northbound on Broadway. The suspect implied he was armed by keeping his hand inside a black bag throughout the encounter. [CU Boulder Police](https://www.colorado.edu/police/2022/03/18/safety-alert-motor-vehicle-theft-and-robbery) issued a safety alert, and the suspect was [apprehended later that day near Hays, Kansas](https://www.colorado.edu/police/2022/03/18/suspect-apprehended-motor-vehicle-theft-and-robbery), after a high-speed chase by the Kansas Highway Patrol.",
    "outcome": "Suspect apprehended near Hays, Kansas, by the Kansas Highway Patrol at approximately 5:25 p.m. the same day following a high-speed pursuit. The stolen vehicle was recovered.",
    "resolution": "confirmed-threat"
  },
  "alerts": [
    {
      "sequence": 1,
      "type": "initial",
      "timestampApprox": "March 18, 2022, morning, issued by CU Boulder Police Department",
      "channel": "email",
      "verbatimText": "CU SAFETY ALERT: Motor Vehicle Theft and Robbery\n\nThe CU Boulder Police Department (CUPD) is investigating a report of an aggravated motor vehicle theft and robbery on campus.\n\nAt approximately 9:30 this morning, CUPD was notified of a report of an unidentified male who approached the reporting party in Parking Lot 310 near the Cheyenne-Arapaho residence hall and Wardenburg Health Center.\n\nThe suspect demanded that the reporting party give him his keys and personal belongings, then stole the reporting party's vehicle and was last seen driving northbound on Broadway.\n\nThe reporting party said the suspect had his hand in a black bag through the entirety of the interaction, leading the reporting party to believe the suspect was armed.\n\nSuspect Description: Black male with dreadlocks, wearing black pants and a white/beige puffer coat.\n\nPolice are looking for a 2021 Toyota 4-Runner TRD off-road vehicle with black rims and a gold border around the rear license plate; Texas plate PPP3282.\n\nAnyone with information regarding this crime or the suspect's location is encouraged to contact CUPD at (303) 492-6666. Reference CUPD case # 2022-0480.\n\nThis message is being sent in the interest of public safety and in compliance with federal law requiring timely warning notification of crimes committed on or near campus.",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": true,
      "sourceUrl": "https://www.colorado.edu/police/2022/03/18/safety-alert-motor-vehicle-theft-and-robbery",
      "sourceDescription": "CU Boulder Police Department official safety alert page",
      "annotations": [
        "The suspect implied he was armed by keeping his hand in a black bag but never displayed a weapon, making this both a robbery (force/intimidation) and motor vehicle theft under Colorado law",
        "CU Boulder uses 'CU Safety Alert' as its branding for Clery timely warnings, distinct from 'CU Emergency Alert' used for emergency notifications",
        "The location near Wardenburg Health Center and Cheyenne-Arapaho residence hall places this in a high-traffic area of campus during morning hours",
        "The alert included a suspect description and detailed vehicle information, including the license plate",
        "The alert explicitly states that the message complies with 'federal law requiring timely warning notification', naming the Clery Act mandate directly in the message text"
      ],
      "characterCount": 1323
    },
    {
      "sequence": 2,
      "type": "update",
      "timestampApprox": "March 18, 2022, evening, issued by CU Boulder Police Department",
      "channel": "email",
      "verbatimText": "UPDATE: Suspect Apprehended in Motor Vehicle Theft and Robbery\n\nThe University of Colorado Police Department (CUPD) confirms that the suspect that matches the description in a motor vehicle theft and robbery that occurred on the CU Boulder campus this morning has been apprehended.\n\nThe suspect was arrested at approximately 5:25 p.m. near Hays, Kansas. The suspect was taken into custody by the Kansas Highway Patrol after a high speed chase. The stolen vehicle was also recovered.\n\nCUPD would like to thank all of our partner agencies for their help in this case.\n\nIf you have any information related to this incident, please contact CUPD at (303) 492-6666.",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": true,
      "sourceUrl": "https://www.colorado.edu/police/2022/03/18/suspect-apprehended-motor-vehicle-theft-and-robbery",
      "sourceDescription": "CU Boulder Police Department official update page",
      "annotations": [
        "The suspect was apprehended roughly 500 miles from Boulder in Hays, Kansas, approximately 8 hours after the initial theft",
        "The Kansas Highway Patrol involvement and high-speed chase add a multi-jurisdictional dimension rarely seen in campus property crime cases",
        "The update was issued the same day as the initial alert, closing the loop with the campus community",
        "The thank-you to 'partner agencies' acknowledges the multi-state law enforcement cooperation required to resolve the case"
      ],
      "characterCount": 659
    }
  ],
  "context": "Motor vehicle theft timely warnings occupy an unusual position in campus [Clery Act](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clery_Act) notifications. They are required when the crime occurs in Clery geography and poses a continuing threat, but the nature of motor vehicle theft means the suspect typically flees the area immediately, which can complicate the 'continuing threat' analysis. In this case, the robbery element (the suspect demanded keys and implied he was armed) clearly established the continuing threat standard. Colorado experienced a [significant spike in motor vehicle thefts](https://www.coloradodaily.com/2022/03/19/suspect-connected-to-cu-boulder-campus-car-theft-arrested-friday-in-kansas/) statewide during 2021 and 2022, with the state ranking among the worst nationally for auto theft rates. The Boulder area was not immune to this trend. This case is unusual for its dramatic resolution: the suspect drove the stolen vehicle approximately 500 miles east before being stopped by the Kansas Highway Patrol near [Hays, Kansas](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hays,_Kansas) after a high-speed pursuit. [CU Boulder's](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Colorado_Boulder) alert system distinguishes between 'CU Safety Alerts' (timely warnings for Clery crimes) and 'CU Emergency Alerts' (emergency notifications for immediate threats), a two-tier system that helps the campus community calibrate their response to different threat levels.",
  "keyFindings": [
    "Motor vehicle theft combined with robbery (force or intimidation) clearly meets the Clery Act's 'continuing threat' standard for timely warning issuance",
    "The suspect was apprehended 500 miles away in Kansas the same day, illustrating how quickly stolen vehicles can leave a campus jurisdiction",
    "CU Boulder's two-tier alert branding ('Safety Alert' vs 'Emergency Alert') helps distinguish timely warnings from emergency notifications",
    "Colorado experienced a statewide spike in motor vehicle thefts during 2021-2022, providing context for campus property crime trends"
  ],
  "sources": [
    {
      "title": "Safety Alert: Motor Vehicle Theft and Robbery - CU Boulder Police Department",
      "url": "https://www.colorado.edu/police/2022/03/18/safety-alert-motor-vehicle-theft-and-robbery",
      "type": "official-archive"
    },
    {
      "title": "Suspect Apprehended in Motor Vehicle Theft and Robbery - CU Boulder Police Department",
      "url": "https://www.colorado.edu/police/2022/03/18/suspect-apprehended-motor-vehicle-theft-and-robbery",
      "type": "official-archive"
    },
    {
      "title": "Suspect connected to CU Boulder campus car theft arrested Friday in Kansas - Colorado Daily",
      "url": "https://www.coloradodaily.com/2022/03/19/suspect-connected-to-cu-boulder-campus-car-theft-arrested-friday-in-kansas/",
      "type": "local-media"
    }
  ],
  "confidence": "high",
  "tags": [
    "motor-vehicle-theft",
    "robbery",
    "timely-warning",
    "colorado",
    "carjacking",
    "multi-jurisdictional",
    "high-speed-chase"
  ],
  "dateAdded": "2026-04-04",
  "lastUpdated": "2026-07-16",
  "addedBy": "ingestion"
}