The incident began shortly after 4:30 a.m. Monday, when a resident reported his 2019 Kia Soul stolen from the 400 block of Centro Way after he briefly went inside a business, according to a sheriff’s office media release.
The victim was able to provide dispatchers with location updates from a cellphone inside the vehicle, which helped deputies track it to a field east of Timnath Reservoir and north of Weld County Road 78 about 50 minutes later. When deputies arrived, they found the vehicle and a nearby tree fully engulfed in flames.
Authorities say the suspect fled on foot into a nearby neighborhood before deputies could make contact. Using a drone, deputies searched the area and found the suspect emerging from a swampy area. The man also attempted to enter a law enforcement vehicle before being safely taken into custody, the release stated.
The suspect was identified as Jared Rosier, 35, of Denver.
“This outcome is a direct result of well-coordinated teamwork and technology,” Undersheriff Joe Shellhammer stated in the release.
Rosier was booked into the Larimer County Jail on multiple felony charges, including first-degree aggravated motor vehicle theft, second-degree arson, criminal mischief causing between $5,000 and $19,000 in damage and second-degree criminal trespass on agricultural land with intent to commit a felony.
He faces additional charges including providing false identifying information to law enforcement, obstructing a peace officer and trespassing in an enclosed space.
A Larimer County Court judge set Rosier’s bail at $5,000 cash or surety.
© 2026 Loveland Reporter-Herald, Colo. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
