A Bellevue man arrested Saturday in Jerome on suspicion of DUI is a suspect in a rash of vehicle thefts last week in Hailey.
Hailey police Lt. Steve England identified the suspect Tuesday as 19-year-old Augustin Aparicio. He said Aparicio was arrested around 2:50 a.m. Saturday in Jerome by Idaho State Police. England alleged that Aparicio was driving a 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee reported stolen Saturday morning from Fourth Avenue in Hailey.
The Grand Cherokee is one of three vehicle thefts last week being investigated by Hailey police. Two of the vehicles have now been recovered, but as of Tuesday, the third remained missing.
England said a 1993 Volkswagen van was stolen from Galena Drive on Thursday morning and was found abandoned later that day parked along state Highway 75 about a mile north of Hailey. Also reported stolen Thursday morning was a 1974 Datsun 260Z taken from north Second Street.
England said Aparicio faces numerous charges in JeromeCounty, including DUI, possession of a stolen vehicle, driving without privileges and providing false information to police. He is being investigated in BlaineCounty for possible grand theft charges.
According to BlaineCounty court records, Aparicio was convicted in June of misdemeanor DUI in BlaineCounty and currently has a misdemeanor charge pending against him of “theft by receiving, possessing or disposing of stolen property.”
England said that in all three vehicle thefts, the keys were left inside the vehicles.
“Hailey police would like to remind everybody up here to please lock your doors and take your keys,” England said. “Criminals up here tend to be opportunistic. We don’t have a lot of slim-jimming doors or hot-wiring engines.”
Terry Smith: tsmith@mtexpress.com
