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Man arrested after deputy drops phone in truck, locates it with Find my iPhone

Steven Sandoval, 51, was arrested after a deputy lost his phone in the truck and used the app to track it, the Weld County Sheriff's Office said.

WELD COUNTY, Colo. — A Denver man wanted on felony charges was arrested Monday after being located through the Find my iPhone app, the Weld County Sheriff's Office said.

The sheriff's office said deputies responded at about 1:15 a.m. for a report of a suspicious person at a storage lot located in the 9100 block of Weld County Road 2.

Deputies discovered a 2000 Chevy pickup truck being driven by the suspect, identified as 51-year-old Steven Sandoval, and performed a traffic stop, the sheriff's office said.

Sandoval told deputies he was his little brother, Anthony, but the sheriff's office said they confirmed his identity by looking at a previous mugshot and a list of his known tattoos.

Credit: Weld County Sheriff's Office

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While deputies were trying to get Sandoval out of the truck and take him into custody, the sheriff's office says he drove through a security fence and left the scene.

Before Sandoval drove off, the sheriff's office said a deputy placed his iPhone on the rail of the truck's bed, and after realizing it was gone had another deputy locate it with the Find my iPhone app, according to the sheriff's office.

The deputies were able to locate the phone, which was moving west on the E-470 tollway towards Boulder, and the sheriff's office continued tracking until it stopped around 2:47 a.m. at an address on the 4800 block of Jay Road in Boulder.

The sheriff's office said deputies contacted Boulder County Dispatch to ask deputies with the Boulder County Sheriff's Office to respond to the address, where they arrested Sandoval and located the phone.

Sandoval faces the following charges, according to the sheriff's office:

  • Criminal impersonation
  • Criminal mischief 
  • Attempt to influence a public servant
  • Eluding
  • Resisting arrest
  • Driving on a revoked license
  • Driving without insurance
  • Possession of a Schedule Two controlled substance
  • Flight to avoid prosecution
  • Failure to appear in court
  • Attempt to introduce contraband into jail during booking

He is being held at Weld County Jail on a $23,000 bond.

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Anyone with information is asked to contact Northern Colorado Crime Stoppers at info@nococrimestoppers.com or 1-800-222-8477. Tipsters can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward of up to $2,000. 

Calls to the Northern Colorado Crime Stoppers are not recorded and the phone does not have caller ID, according to the NoCoCrimestoppers website. A coordinator completes a tips information form, makes initial inquiries and passes the information along to investigators. 

A two-way dialogue system online also allows tipsters to come back and provide additional information and ask questions.  

A community board of directors meets regularly to evaluate arrests and determine reward amounts. 

> More information about Northern Colorado Crime Stoppers can be found here. 

> Additional NoCo Crime Stoppers bulletins can be found here. 

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