Troopers, Las Animas County Deputies Find Stolen Car Suspects

Colorado State Troopers and Las Animas County Deputies along with county canines searched an area along Interstate 25 south of Trinidad following a high speed chase Tuesday and have two people in custody.

Troopers spotted a black Honda Accord that was stolen out of Pueblo near Walsenburg a little before 8 a.m., troopers said.

Troopers chased the car south on Interstate 25 at speeds ranging between 70 and 100 miles per hour, said State Patrol Trooper Nate Reed.

The car led Troopers south of Trinidad, back north into Trinidad and on county roads just outside Trinidad before loosing the troopers, Reed said.

A short time later the car was spotted abandoned south of Trinidad near mile marker 11, Reed said.

Troopers and Las Animas County Deputies with canines searched the are for hours and found the suspects, a man and a woman around noon, about 2 miles south of where the car had been abandoned, said Reed.

The man has been identified as Nikolas Byard, said troopers.

Byard was wanted by Pueblo County Sheriff’s deputies last week after he was spotted in another stolen car. Deputies came close to capturing him at a car wash on the city’s west side, but Byard reportedly rammed a deputy and a police officer who tried to box him in.

That vehicle was reported stolen from Fountain and belonged to a Ft. Carson soldier, said Pueblo Deputies.

Troopers did not have the name of the woman arrested with Byard Tuesday.