Jared Romelo Brooks has admitted his role in the stolen shuttle scare that rattled first responders on Interstate 70, pleading guilty on Feb. 2 to second-degree motor-vehicle theft. Prosecutors say Brooks swiped a Clear Creek County Roundabout shuttle and drove it straight through an active crash scene, coming uncomfortably close to emergency personnel. He is set to be sentenced on March 2 in Clear Creek County court, closing the book on an Oct. 10 incident that damaged an Idaho Springs police cruiser and left responders badly shaken.
Under the plea agreement, Brooks admitted to second-degree motor vehicle theft while prosecutors agreed to drop several far more serious charges, including four counts of attempted first-degree murder and two counts of vehicular eluding, according to The Denver Post. Any specific sentence terms or recommendations from prosecutors were not yet publicly available in court filings.
Video Shows First Responders Scrambling
Footage released by the sheriff’s office, including an interior camera from the shuttle and body-worn video from an Idaho Springs officer, captures the tense moments on I-70. The bus rolls into a closed left lane, threads the needle between a tow truck and a fire engine, and forces at least one responder to jump a concrete median to avoid being hit. The shuttle then slams into an Idaho Springs patrol vehicle before taking off eastbound near mile marker 240.75. Authorities reported no serious injuries at the scene. Denver7 published the sheriff’s video alongside its early coverage of the incident.
How Investigators Closed In
Metro Denver Crime Stoppers tips helped investigators put a name to the suspect, and the U.S. Marshals’ Colorado Violent Offender Task Force ultimately arrested Brooks in Denver in November, after the shuttle was found abandoned downtown. Local reports noted he was booked on outstanding warrants as the multi-agency investigation unfolded, involving the Clear Creek County Sheriff’s Office and federal partners. CBS Colorado detailed the arrest and the charges that followed the release of the video.
What the Plea Deal Means Now
By pleading guilty to second-degree motor-vehicle theft, Brooks sidestepped a trial on the higher-count indictment. Court documents cited in coverage show that multiple felony counts were dismissed as part of the agreement. At the March 2 sentencing hearing, the judge is expected to consider victim impact statements and the prosecution’s case file before deciding the punishment. As reported by The Denver Post, investigators said highway cameras recorded the shuttle swerving toward first responders, a detail likely to surface again in pre-sentencing arguments…