Man caught on camera lifting generator out of open garage

A brazen thief was caught on camera stealing a power generator from an open garage over the weekend.

A KRDO viewer sent us videos of a man walking on the perimeter of his garage, lifting the generator and then walking out of frame.

Just a few minutes later, he’s seen in a car driving away from the El Paso County neighborhood near Lorson Ranch.

The viewer is asking to stay anonymous but released the video hoping he’d make his neighbors aware of the theft in the neighborhood.

Other homeowners in Lorson Ranch say they saw the post on Facebook and were now concerned for their own homes.

Rob Williamson said, “Man, that quickly; it’s got to leave the homeowner just infuriated.”

Williamson has surveillance cameras on his home but doesn’t think they’ll serve as much of a deterrent.

Glenn Shoemaker, who doesn’t have cameras, says, “I do it [leave my garage open] all the time. When I’m mowing the lawn and take the stuff out, I don’t close it every time, so something as simple as 30 seconds is really scary.”

According to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation annual crime report, there were 461 property burglaries in 2018, up from 392 in 2017 in El Paso County.

Jaqueline Kirby, a spokesperson with the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office, says a way of tackling the increase is encouraging neighbors to use their Community Video Program. It allows homeowners to share the location of their cameras.

Kirby says, “We see it as a partnership. Let us know you have it so if a crime happens in your neighborhood, we can help solve it.”

She explains the program doesn’t allow the sheriff’s office to tap in and watch the cameras but instead gives them an idea of what surveillance might be available if a crime occurs in a certain neighborhood.

A report on the burglary submitted by a KRDO viewer has been submitted, but no suspects have been arrested.