STEAMBOAT SPRINGS — A man accused of stealing a shuttle bus in Steamboat Springs was arrested in Utah on Monday after attempting to steal another vehicle, then fleeing police.
Andrew Roberts faces two charges of motor vehicle theft, a felony, as well as one charge of failing to stop at the command of law enforcement and two charges of possessing marijuana and drug paraphernalia, according to Utah County Sheriff’s Office records, where Roberts has been booked.
Detective Sgt. Jeff Wilson of the Steamboat Springs Police Department said a shuttle bus owned by the Resort Lodging Company, a local vacation home rental agency, reported the vehicle as stolen last Friday.
A shuttle driver had parked the bus outside an automotive repair shop late Thursday night. The person left the keys in the vehicle so mechanics could access it in the morning.
By the time the shop’s employees arrived to work on Friday, the bus had disappeared.
Wilson and fellow officers were unable to locate the vehicle until they received a call from the Lehi Police Department in Utah County, Utah, on Monday morning.
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Lieutenant Toby Peterson of the Lehi Police Department said officers received a call around 6:30 a.m. Monday about a man attempting to steal a truck at a local convenience store.
When officers arrived, the man fled the scene. Peterson said officers pursued the man, but he quickly gave up. They found him in possession of less than an ounce of marijuana and smoking paraphernalia with cannabis residue, both of which are prohibited in Utah.
Officers took the man, Andrew Roberts, into custody.
In the course of investigating the incident, Peterson said officers found video footage from the convenience store linking Roberts to the theft of the shuttle bus.
Peterson believes the bus ran out of gas in Lehi, so Roberts stole another vehicle to continue his westward journey.
“He was trying to get to the West Coast so he could sail around the world,” Peterson said, based on interrogations with Roberts.
His bail has been set at $20,000.
To reach Derek Maiolo, call 970-871-4247, email dmaiolo@SteamboatPilot.com or follow him on Twitter @derek_maiolo.
