Canyon rangers responded to a reported auto burglary near a concession dorm last August 26th and soon identified and arrested Christopher Perez. Agents and rangers executed a search warrant on Perez’ dorm room and recovered numerous items of stolen NPS property and a handgun with ammunition and a holster. They also discovered evidence of a recent burglary of the Observation Peak cabin and theft of valuable and historic NPS property that the park did not yet know had been stolen. Perez later pled guilty to three misdemeanor counts of unlawfully possessing federally-owned property (18 USC 641) and was sentenced to 60 days in jail. Meanwhile, the investigation continued. An inventory of Perez’ vehicle led to the recovery of a CD player that had been stolen in the August 26th car clout, plus additional firearm equipment and paraphernalia. Investigators also found an eyewitness to the Observation Point cabin burglary, additional evidence of Perez’ involvement in the car clout, evidence that he was wanted on an outstanding warrant by another agency, and evidence that he’d unlawfully possessed and used a firearm in the park. On November 14th, a federal grand jury indicted Perez on charges of violating 18 USC 922 and 924 (fugitive from justice knowingly in possession of a firearm) and 18 USC 13 (knowingly entering a vehicle with intent to commit larceny). By this time, though, Perez had been released from jail and was now a fugitive. NPS agents and deputy US marshals worked with state authorities in Texas in an effort to find Perez and eventually made phone contact with him in Albuquerque. The agents were unable to talk him into going to a location where he could be arrested, so deputy marshals began searching for him in Albuquerque. On the evening of February 6th, they found Perez’ vehicle at a rural residence and approached the house after several hours of surveillance. Perez, however, escaped out the back and rode away on a stolen horse. The deputies tracked him but lost his tracks in a remote area. They continued to work the area and watch the house and eventually found and arrested him. They also ensured that the horse was safely returned to its owner. On February 9th, Perez appeared before a U.S. magistrate in Albuquerque. He was ordered held, removed to Wyoming, and placed in the hands of the US Marshals Service.
