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Grand jury indicts 5 people accused of stealing more than 50 cars in northern Colorado

The vehicles were stolen from parking lots around northern Colorado from April 2021 to February 2022.

WELD COUNTY, Colo. — Five people accused of stealing more than 50 vehicles throughout northern Colorado were indicted by a Weld County Grand jury on Monday. 

The thefts began in April 2021, according to the district attorney's office. 

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The suspects stole vehicles from store parking lots, apartments and other locations in northern Colorado, the indictment says. They would then often sell the stolen cars. 

The indictment also says the suspects would sometimes forge checks when they were left in the vehicles or use credit cards they found. They also lit at least one of the stolen vehicles on fire to burn a stolen carwash vacuum that was inside, according to the indictment.

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The five suspects are:

  • Amanda Jo Johnson
  • Austin Ray Carlholm
  • Ryan Donald Yarwood
  • Hector Rivera
  • Jacob Alexander Matinez

Collectively, they are facing 147 counts, including motor vehicle theft, identity theft and forgery. They are also each accused of violating Colorado's Organized Crime Control Act.

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