The Summit County Sheriff’s Office arrested a 26-year-old Leadville man in the early hours of Wednesday morning who allegedly attempted to break into more than 40 cars near Wildernest.

Around 2:30 a.m., deputies responded to the residential subdivision in unincorporated Summit County after a man reported that someone had just attempted to break into his vehicle, according to a news release from the Sheriff’s Office. 

Deputies reported observing footprints in the fresh snow around the vehicle and tracked the footprints from Wildernest to a nearby storage facility in Dillon Valley, where law enforcement officers located and detained the suspect, according to the release. The officers reportedly located a total of 42 vehicles that the suspect had attempted to enter.

Deputies arrested the suspect on a charge of criminal attempt for second-degree burglary, a felony; second-degree criminal trespass, a misdemeanor; and 42 counts of criminal attempt for second-degree criminal trespass, all misdemeanors. He reportedly confessed to deputies during an interview, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

“This incident serves as a reminder to all residents to continue to secure their homes and vehicles by locking doors and windows to prevent potential crimes of opportunity,” Summit County Sheriff Jaime FitzSimons said in a statement.

Anyone with additional information about the incident is asked to contact the Summit County 911 Center at 970-668-8600.