COMMERCE CITY, Colo. (KDVR) – Two people have been named as suspects by the Commerce City Police Department and are now wanted in connection with a string of auto thefts and commercial burglaries that occurred across the metro over the last few months.
According to CCPD, Esequiel “Zeke” Gomez, 32, and Demi Christian Maestas, 29, are both wanted for their suspected role in a series of burglaries and auto thefts, some of which were conducted with firearms.
They allegedly committed crimes in Commerce City, Denver, Thornton, Aurora and Sterling. As of Friday afternoon, Gomez and Maestas are still at large and investigators believe that there are additional suspects who haven’t yet been identified in this case.
During the early-morning burglaries, the suspects would allegedly drive stolen vehicles through storefronts that were closed at the time. They are suspected of stealing what they could before fleeing. Police have tried to stop them multiple times but were unsuccessful in those attempts.
One of those instances occurred on Tuesday, June 21, when SWAT officers were headed to Gomez’s residence, which sits along the 6600 block of East 69th Avenue. CCPD believed he would be armed and dangerous, so they requested SWAT assistance to help with the execution of the search warrant.
Footage obtained from CCPD revealed the moments that Gomez noticed the incoming authorities and fled his home in a stolen gray-colored Audi, just moments before the SWAT vehicles pulled into the driveway.
Investigators said that the property recovered is worth more than $500,000 and that doesn’t include the value of the vehicles that were stolen and subsequently used during the burglaries.
Stolen property recovered as the result of the search warrant
- Two stolen trucks
- One stolen camper
- Two stolen assault-style rifles
- Property from at least six different burglary scenes from four jurisdictions (Commerce City, Aurora, Thornton, and Adams County)
After sidestepping the SWAT team, Gomez allegedly went on to commit another commercial burglary in Greenwood Village.
If you have any information on this case, please reach out to Commerce City Police at 303-289-3626, and know that you can remain both anonymous and eligible for the cash reward.
Gomez and Maestas are still considered armed and dangerous, so if you see them out in public, please call 911 and do not try to confront the pair.