Man arrested last week for car theft in Pueblo County

PUEBLO COUNTY – According to the Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office, a man was arrested last week for auto theft.

The sheriff's office said they used a GPS device to arrest 35-year-old Travis Barela after he allegedly stole a car while the owner was shopping at a Dollar Tree in Blende.

The incident occurred around 2:45 p.m. on Thursday after a woman reported her car stolen. The woman told the sheriff's office she lost her keys when getting out of her car, but didn't realize it until she noticed the car was gone.

According to a witness, three men were seen getting into the car heading east on Highway 50.

Using GPS, the sheriff's office was able to track the car to the Minnequa Heights neighborhood. They say they found the car abandoned at the intersection of Oakland Avenue and Iowa Avenue.

According to the sheriff's office, officers searched the area and found Barela to be at a home on Wyoming Avenue.

Officers contacted a woman, but she did not allow them to speak to anyone in the home. After a search warrant was executed, Barela was found inside the home along with items from the victim's car.

The sheriff's office said Barela was arrested on grand theft auto charges and four outstanding warrants. He is being held in the Pueblo County Jail on $31,000 bail.

Another man in the home was arrested on an outstanding warrant, according to the sheriff's office. His name has not yet been released.

The other two men seen in the stolen vehicle have not been located and the Sheriff's Office is investigating.

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