Suspected car thief potentially linked to a string of same-day home burglaries in Fremont County

PUEBLO WEST, Colo. (KRDO) - A suspected car thief arrested by the Pueblo County Sheriff's office on Sunday, Sept. 17, by K9 Edo is potentially linked to a series of home burglaries in rural Fremont County.

Nathan Maxwell was arrested in a ditch after allegedly driving off with a man's car from a Big R in Pueblo West, but a Fremont County family says Maxwell stole items from their home in the wee hours of the morning on that same day.

Samantha Klotz, a Fremont County resident victimized by this crime, says that her father had a conversation with the man who allegedly broke into their home. They came home to a man in their front yard and had a conversation with him. After he left, they found windows broken and precious heirloom items gone.

When the Pueblo County Sheriff's office put out a notice that they had arrested a man and put his mugshot on social media, they asked the Klotz family if it was the same man responsible burglarizing their home. Klotz tells KRDO it was Maxwell who allegedly entered their home and stole items, and he was caught on camera entering a home down the street from the Klotz residence.

"They kind of linked two things together and he sent us a picture of the guy who stole the car and he re-identified him as that's the guy that broke into our house and he's the one on video from down the street or in that area."

This security camera image shows a man breaking into a home in the area, and this is who Samantha Klotz' father recognized as the man in their front yard.

"The officer comes back and he's like, Well, I might have a picture," Klotz said. "Can you identify this person? And I was like, Well, Dad can do that. So my dad goes, Yeah, that's him."

We have reached out to the Fremont County Sheriff's office to find out if Maxwell faces additional charges. They said that this case is open and active with their agency.