An officer found the car in the motel parking lot and noticed a gun, knife and drugs inside. Two suspects connected to the vehicle were found wandering around inside the motel. A woman was arrested on an outstanding warrant and the car was impounded.
It turns out the woman, 36-year old Tena Wheeler is the head of a massive ID theft ring. The stolen vehicle out of Denver was full of printers, scanners and other items used for making checks, printing money and making credit cards.
At one point she lived in Colorado Springs and was evicted. She faces Aggravated Motor Vehicle Theft, Identity Theft and numerous other charges. PPD found several checkbooks that were stolen and credit cards. They have no idea yet just how many people were victimized.
They want to remind people to be cautious about throwing away personal financial information. Wheeler would go through people trash and take their banking and credit card info.
A man was also arrested at the motel. He was taken into custody on an outstanding warrant and they haven’t determined if he had any involvement in the ID theft stuff. His name has not been released as of yet.
Watch 4 officers Claussen, Ruiz, Gonzales, Hovet, & Neece working in the evidence room. Last night, Ofc. Ruiz found a stolen car in a motel parking lot on N. Elizabeth. He & the other officers located the suspects, which led to a counterfeiting & ID theft operation. Great work! pic.twitter.com/fSsPtHgFG2
— Tom Rummel (@PPDWatchIVCapt) December 5, 2018
Great work this morning by Ofc. Titus Mote! Patrolling the north side at about 3:00 a.m., he saw a car with an open door in a motel parking lot. He ran the plate & learned that a PD in the Denver metro area had a BOLO out for the car for a theft & eluding case earlier this year. pic.twitter.com/wuBar2B4vF
— Tom Rummel (@PPDWatchIVCapt) December 2, 2018
