MEDIA RELEASE

July 16, 2021
CONTACT: Lt. Russ Ruschill
Jackson Police Department
(307) 733-1430
rruschill@jacksonwy.gov

On July 3, 2021, at 1:40 a.m., officers of the Jackson Police Department began investigating a report from two women whose purses were stolen from inside the Cowboy Bar. The next morning another patron reported that she had been “pick-pocketed” during the same time frame. 

The stolen items included personal items, cash, credit cards, and cell phones. During the investigation, JPD detectives viewed the video from the Cowboy Bar and discovered one suspect in all three cases. Using the video footage, the detectives followed the suspect through the business eventually leading into the men’s restroom where some of the stolen property was recovered from the trash can. Upon further investigation it was determined that the suspect used a credit card to pay for his drinks. The detectives involved in the case located a person in Colorado with an extensive criminal history with the same name as the name on the credit card used by the suspect. 

During the next several days the Jackson Police Department documented several more reports of theft from East Jackson residents and visitors. Bicycles and sporting equipment accounted for a majority of the stolen property reported during this time frame. A firearm was also reported stolen from inside of a vehicle parked outside of a local bed and breakfast. 

The Investigations Division began reviewing video footage from surrounding government and private camera systems. Detectives were able to identify the same person from the video at the 

Cowboy Bar was also responsible for the stolen firearm. The videos also provided the detectives with a possible vehicle the suspect was driving. Over the course of the next week the detectives continued to work to identify the suspect, which eventually led them to a residence in Denver, Colorado. Working closely with the Broomfield, Colorado Police Department an arrest warrant was secured for the suspect. The suspect is a 26 year old, Denver, Colorado resident. A search warrant for the suspect’s residence was also obtained. During service of the search warrant a firearm was recovered which had an altered serial number. The firearm model and caliber matched the one stolen from Jackson. Also recovered were many cell phones, other electronic devices, numerous bicycles, and other sporting equipment. During the service of the warrant, items that were suspected to have been stolen from vehicles in Grand Teton National Park were also recovered. Jackson Police Department 

The list of property recovered from the search warrant is extensive and the investigation is ongoing. During the service of the search warrant the suspect told the Broomfield Detectives that of the numerous bicycles recovered at his property only one belonged to him. 

The Jackson Police Department believes the suspect rented a van in Colorado with the intent to come to Jackson to commit a crime spree of theft. Because the number of items discovered at the suspect’s residence is greater than the number of items reported stolen to law enforcement, we believe there are victims who have not reported their stolen items to law enforcement or may not be aware that their items have been taken. The suspect is believed to have been in Jackson from June 30, 2021, through July 5, 2021. 

If you have any additional information about this case, or you believe you may the victim of an unreported theft during this time frame, please contact the Jackson Police Department at (307) 733-2331.

Jackson Police Department
Michelle Weber
Police Chief
P. O. Box 1687
150 E. Pearl Avenue
Jackson, Wyoming 83001
307-733-1430  FAX 307-733-3241
www.jacksonholepolice.com