A car nabbed after a high- speed chase on Interstate 25 in northern Colorado last weekend contained almost $1 million in stolen jewelry.
Hundreds of pieces of jewelry – some precious diamonds, rubies and other gems still displaying price tags – were found Saturday in a stolen 2001 Dodge Intrepid.
Three men were arrested after they ran from the car near Wellington.
When authorities caught up to them, they were easy to identify.
“They were wearing some jewelry when we stopped them,” said Sgt. Jeff Goodwin of the Colorado State Patrol. “They were even wearing some that still had the price tag.”
Investigators believe some of the loot recovered is from a robbery in North Carolina.
Wally Hinkamp, a Fayetteville, N.C., jeweler, said he has been contacted by police there who have been talking with Colorado investigators.
On Nov. 9, $1.2 million (retail price) in jewelry was stolen from his safe when a masked gunman forced his way into the business, Hinkamp said.
Outside the building, Fayetteville police recovered about $50,000 in rings dropped as the thief left.
Hinkamp is pleased that some pieces have been recovered, although he’s not surprised they turned up in Colorado.
“In the industry, things like this happen, and merchandise makes its way out of the country in one or two days,” Hinkamp said. “I wouldn’t have been shocked by wherever it turned up.”
About 700 pieces, ranging in price from about $500 to $30,000, were stolen from Hin- kamp, he said.
The jewelry recovered from the car is worth about $900,000, although it was originally estimated to be worth up to $100,000, Goodwin said. Four weapons and marijuana also were found in the car, which was stolen in Denver.
On Saturday, the Colorado State Patrol arrested Melesio Rojas, 18, of Lakewood, Steven Trujillo, 19, of Denver and Reimundo Bermudez, 20, of Aurora.
They were heading south on I-25 near the Wyoming border when a trooper tried to stop the car for speeding, Goodwin said. It crashed near exit 278. The trio took off running and were caught a short time later, he said.
The suspects are being held in the Larimer County jail on multiple felony charges and have a court appearance scheduled Monday.
Hinkamp doesn’t know how the jewelry found its way to Colorado, but he’s glad the driver was apparently in a careless hurry.
“If I’m in a stolen car with stolen merchandise and with some drugs and weapons, I’m not going to be speeding on the interstate,” Hinkamp said. “We are not dealing with Mensa graduates here.”
Staff writer Kieran Nicholson can be reached at 303-820-1822 or knicholson@denverpost.com.
