Leader of auto thefts from Colorado airport lots sentenced to prison

A 25-year-old man whom police believe oversaw the theft of dozens of vehicles from the parking lots at Denver International Airport recently pleaded guilty and received a 20-year prison sentence.

David Nava-Delgado led a “prolific” group that stole at least 59 vehicles from DIA lots between February 2022 and March 2023, according to prosecutors. The group often took Ford F-150 Raptors which they drove into the fronts of businesses to steal ATMs. They attempted or completed this type of burglary 31 times, per prosecutors.

The group also stole vehicles in Adams, Arapahoe, Broomfield, Boulder, Denver, Jefferson County, and Logan County. Jeep Grand Cherokees, Dodge Challengers, and Dodge Chargers were also popular models to the thieves. Typically, the group used reprogrammed key key fobs to access the vehicles. Once inside and underway, they would also disable the vehicle’s GPS tracking system to avoid apprehension, per prosecutors.

Nava-Delgado escaped authorities seeral times. He once led police on a high-speed chase while driving a stolen Grand Cherokee. Other members of his crew were alongside in a stolen F-150 and jumped in Nava-Delgado’s Jeep, leaving behind handguns, blank sets of keys and key fobs inside the Ford.

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