From the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office:
The Mesa County Sheriff’s Office, in collaboration with the Salt Lake Police Department, arrested a 27-year-old man from South Carolina in connection with a series of car break-ins at local trailheads between December 2024 and February 2025.
On December 7, 2024, Deputies responded to a report of a theft from a vehicle at the Kokopelli Trailhead in Loma. The victim reported that upon returning from a short hike, she found her car unlocked and cash and credit cards missing from her wallet, which she had left inside the vehicle. Soon after, the victim received notifications from her bank indicating that her credit cards had been used for multiple purchases at various retail stores in Grand Junction. Deputies and investigators reviewed surveillance footage showing a male suspect entering the retail locations and making multiple purchases with the stolen credit cards.
A second theft report was filed two days later, indicating another vehicle had also been broken into while parked at the Kokopelli Trailhead on December 7th. A third report, received on December 16, 2025, detailed another break-in at the same trailhead, causing $500 in damage and theft of additional credit cards, which were used to make nearly $2,000 in purchases at local retail establishments. Video footage confirmed the same male suspect was present on all occasions at each location.
Investigators determined that to attempt to avoid detection, the suspect was renting vehicles in Utah, traveling to Mesa County, and committing these crimes, and would then return to Utah to rent a different car before committing the next crime. Investigators identified Alejandro Ferrada Ruz as the individual responsible for the five vehicle break-ins at the Kokopelli, Devil’s Canyon, and Coal Canyon Trailheads. The Mesa County Sheriff’s Office issued a warrant for his arrest, which included 24 counts of identity theft, theft, unauthorized use of a financial transaction device, first-degree criminal trespass, and criminal mischief. Ruz was arrested on February 10, 2025, at the Salt Lake airport by the Salt Lake City Police Department and is now in federal custody.
Throughout the investigation, it was discovered Ruz had stolen cash and had used or attempted to use stolen credit cards from 10 different victims totaling over $20,000. Fortunately, all victims involved in this case were able to recover their stolen funds. This case serves as an important reminder to report any crime immediately. The quicker we receive the information, the sooner we can start the investigation. It is also crucial to refrain from leaving valuables in your vehicle while you are out, even temporarily. Take only your keys, ID, and cell phone with you and leave the rest at home.