The driver and passenger were injured and transported to an area hospital

Boulder County, Colo. -

On December 17, 2020, Sheriff’s deputies took a report of a stolen Bobcat skid steer and trailer, valued at $75,000 and $20,000 respectively, from the 35,000 block of Boulder Canyon Drive in unincorporated Boulder County, Colorado.

On December 18, deputies received a tip that the skid steer and trailer were at a residence in the 10,000 block of East County Line Road in unincorporated Boulder County. Sheriff’s detectives began writing a search warrant for the property so the skid steer and trailer could be recovered, at the same time detectives and deputies began surveilling the single family home and devised a plan to contact the vehicle should it leave prior to the warrant being signed. The skid steer was still on the trailed and attached to a pickup truck parked on the property. The pick-up truck was later learned to be reported stolen from Ft. Collins, Colorado, and the license plate on it was reported stolen out of Platteville Police department.

At approximately 9:24 pm, deputies saw a male and female leave the residence and walk to the truck. Deputies believed the male and female would leave with the skid steer so a marked unit with its emergency lights activated attempted to block the truck and trailer from leaving the property. The truck drove around the patrol vehicle and went northbound on East County Line Road, turned west onto Ken Pratt Boulevard, and then west onto 3^rd Avenue. Deputies and detectives attempted to stop the vehicle; deputies reported that the vehicle was driving 15-20 miles per hour under the speed limit, but did not stop. Eventually the vehicle turned into an industrial area and began driving through a field. Deputies stopped pursuing the vehicle at this time.

The truck, with the trailer attached, continued to drive through the field, crossing Ken Pratt Boulevard and into another field where it encountered a dry irrigation ditch. The speed of the truck was not known however the truck sustained significant damage when it tried to cross the ditch and became inoperable. The two occupants of the vehicle were taken into custody and transported to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries. The skid steer and trailer were also damaged in the accident but the amount of damage is not known.

The suspect and driver of the stolen truck is 30 year old Thomas Arthur Gaulin. Gaulin was charged with 1 count of Aggravated Motor Vehicle Assault resulting in serious bodily injury, 2 counts of Aggravated Motor Vehicle Theft, 1 count of Felony Theft, 1 count of Felony Eluding resulting in bodily injury, Reckless Driving, and Driving while license is under restraint. Additionally, Gaulin has 5 active warrant for his arrest issued from other jurisdictions.

Gaulin was issued a felony summons to appear in court at a later date.

This investigation is documented under Boulder County Sheriff's Office case number 20-5511.

Longmont Police also responded to this incident and are investigating the traffic accident. That part of the incident is documented under Longmont Police case number 20-9728.

###

/s/ Sergeant Samuel Hard