Love for unicorns finally catches up to suspects in crime spree, Colorado police say

Two suspects have been arrested in a months-long crime spree after their love for unicorns led investigators to them, Colorado police said.

Between September and February, 46 locations in Boulder County were hit with crimes ranging from motor vehicle thefts to porch piracy, all adding up to about $115,000 in damages, according to a news release from the sheriff’s office.

“The investigation was dubbed ‘Operation Unicorn’ because of the [group’s] affection for unicorns (drawings, figurines, etc.), which were found throughout the investigation and helped tie the crimes together,” the sheriff’s office said.

Some of the unicorns were found in stolen cars, KCNC reported. The unicorns helped detectives link the suspects to crimes in 12 jurisdictions around the Denver area, according to the release.

“We can’t speak to what their intent was, whether they left them as calling cards or whether we just happened to find them, but they didn’t intend for us to find them,” Carrie Haverfeld, a spokesperson for the sheriff’s office, said, according to the TV station.

Three people have been named as suspects. Shane Phillips, 21, and Marie Roman, 36, are both in custody, officials said.

The third suspect, 44-year-old Adrian Quintana, is still at large, according to the release.

The suspects face 53 different charges, including “unlawful distribution and possession of dangerous drugs and drug paraphernalia, 12 counts of aggravated motor vehicle theft, identity theft, vehicular eluding, 28 counts of first degree motor vehicle trespass, criminal mischief, theft of license plates and second degree criminal trespass of property,” officials said.

This story was originally published August 6, 2021 at 4:12 PM with the headline "Love for unicorns finally catches up to suspects in crime spree, Colorado police say."