On 03-03-17 the Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office (William Plackner) responded to the Cottonwood Hot Springs Resort for two independent reports of theft. A Conifer, CO female guest at the resort reported that an unknown person(s) entered her room in the middle of the night through a window and stole her cell phone, food stamp card and her State of Colorado Identification card while she was sleeping. The screen to the female’s room was found to have been removed during the night.

A Black Hawk, CO male guest at the resort also reported that his cellphone and wallet, containing a large amount of cash, was also stolen from the locker room area of the resort or from his room while he and his family were asleep during the night.

One of the cellphones was tracked to an apartment in Cripple Creek, CO. With the assistance of the Cripple Creek Police Department all of the stolen property was recovered in that apartment and a suspect was identified as Austin Skidmore age 18 of Cripple Creek.

Skidmore is now currently wanted on a $5,000.00 bond arrest warrant for charges of Second Degree Burglary (Class 3 Felony), Criminal Possession of a Financial Device (class 6 Felony), Criminal Possession of an Identification Document (Class 1 Misdemeanor) and Theft (Class 1 Misdemeanor).

For more information contact Chaffee County Sheriff John Spezze at 719-539-2596.