PUEBLO — Car thefts in Pueblo are on the decline. According to data from the Pueblo Police Department (PD), the number of stolen cars in 2024 was 30% lower compared to 2023.
Are you parking your car in a safe place? Are you double checking to make sure your car is locked and no valuable items inside are left visible to people who might walk by? While these are all good precautions to take, sometimes it's not enough.
"I went to bed one day and it was there, and woke up the next day and it was gone,” said Logan Oribello, who lives in Pueblo.
Oribello had just moved to Pueblo last year, and in less than a week, his car disappeared.
"I didn't expect to ever see it again,” said Oribello. "I had assumed immediately that it was going to be taken to some other city like Denver and sold off."
His car was parked along the street outside of his home when it was stolen one night.
"I certainly didn't get any more sleep that night. I was not very happy about it,” said Oribello.
Similar cases have happened to many people in Pueblo. Many have posted and commented on Facebook detailing how their cars have been stolen in Pueblo.
"I was not sure what to do besides call the cops,” said Oribello.
Data from Pueblo PD shows in 2024, car thefts decreased by 30% from the year before, which is 576 fewer thefts than there were in 2023.
Pueblo PD also has a team dedicated to finding stolen vehicles. Last year, the unit recovered 167 stolen vehicles and one of them was Oribello's.
"I'm very grateful that I did get it back,” said Oribello.
A spokesperson with the Pueblo Police Department provided KOAA News5 with this information:
The unit has tackled auto thefts in collaboration with the Colorado Auto Theft Prevention Authority (CATPA). Throughout 2024, detectives conducted targeted operations for 47 of the 52 weeks, logging 50 hours per week.
These efforts led to the recovery of 167 stolen vehicles valued at over $1.6 million and resulted in 135 arrests, with 93 of those having outstanding warrants.
Additionally, 68 individuals faced new charges, including motor vehicle theft, while 16 guns and illegal narcotics were also recovered.
Oribello said his car was found three weeks later and five minutes away from where it was stolen.
"It's definitely relieving to me that I don't have to worry about trying to get a new car or anything like that," said Oribello.
Pueblo PD says if your car is stolen, do not try to find it yourself. Instead, people can report their stolen car to Crime Stoppers, or to Pueblo PD by calling the non-emergency number at (719)553-2502.
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