A 24-year-old woman was arrested Friday morning in connection with the second theft of a Black Forest woman’s cremated remains.
Nicole Y. Mobley was taken into custody just after 9 a.m. by El Paso County sheriff’s deputies at a residence near Witches Hollow Lane in southern Colorado Springs, according to sheriff’s office spokeswoman Lt. Lari Sevene.
An attempt to return Terry Herrle’s cremated remains was likely foiled by two associates of the men suspected of first stealing the ashes, sheriff’s deputies say.
Investigators issued arrest warrants Thursday for Mobley and Sergio Rivera, 31, whom deputies suspect took the ashes in mid-January from the parking lot of Trinity Church of the Nazarene, 5055 El Camino Drive, in central Colorado Springs, Sevene said.
The ashes were left in the parking lot by one of the men suspected of stealing the urn during a string of burglaries on Jan. 9 in Black Forest.
Mobley’s arrest brings the total to four arrested in the burglaries.
Hundreds of items, including guns, jewelry, coins, electronic equipment, power tools, stamp collections and credit cards have been recovered.
The fate of the ashes, however, remains unclear.
All that police found in the church parking lot on Jan. 15 was an empty bag with an apology note attached.
Sevene said Rivera is believed to be the last person in possession of the urn containing the ashes.
She said Mobley and Rivera were “associates” of the three men arrested in the burglary cases; however, she did not know to what extent they knew each other.
Deputies are still looking for Rivera on suspicion of abuse of a corpse and theft, both misdemeanors.
“We’re following up on some other associates and trying to track him down,” Sevene said.
Sevene said deputies are also looking for a white 2002 Pontiac Grand Am with license plate number 310-VSU that they suspect is connected with Rivera.
Mobley was arrested on suspicion of second-degree burglary, a felony, and theft by receiving, a misdemeanor. She is being held in the El Paso County jail.
Anyone with information regarding the location of the urn or Rivera is asked to contact the sheriff’s office at 719- 390-5555 or call Crime Stoppers at 719-634-STOP.
Gazette reporter Jakob Rodgers contributed to this report.
