- Rep. Lauren Boebert's son Tyler was arrested in connection to a string of Colorado thefts.
- Court documents say Tyler Boebert, 18, was partly linked to the crimes through surveillance footage.
Investigators identified Colorado GOP Rep. Lauren Boebert's teenage son as a suspect in a Colorado crime spree, in part because he was caught on surveillance footage wearing a hoodie with the name of his mom's shuttered gun-themed eatery, newly released court documents say.
Authorities from the Rifle Police Department in Colorado arrested Tyler Boebert, 18, in connection to a spate of property thefts and car break-ins. He faces more than 20 charges, including several felony charges, relating to the string of crimes.
According to an arrest affidavit, Boebert, along with a group of apparently underage pals, has been accused of breaking into four cars in the city of Rifle and stealing wallets and credit cards found inside to make purchases at several locations, including local McDonald's, Starbucks, and gas stations.
In one case, a woman's stolen debit card was used in an attempt to make a $717 purchase from the fast-fashion online retailer Shein, but the transaction was denied, the arrest affidavit says.
Police identified Boebert in surveillance footage at a gas station at the time and place when one of the stolen cards was used, according to the affidavit. Boebert was wearing a gray hoodie that said "Shooters Grill" on the back and "Grit Glory" on the front, the affidavit says. Shooters Grill was the name of a firearm-themed restaurant his mom once ran.
"Based off my previous encounters, I was able to identify the male with the gray hoodie to be Tyler Boebert," a Rifle police officer wrote in the arrest affidavit. "Tylers mother, Lauren Boebert, use to be the owner of the Shooters Grill restaurant here in Rifle, Colorado, hence why the gray hoodie would read out 'Shooters Grill' on the back. Tyler was also wearing long, black, Under Armor pants."
The arrest affidavit says Boebert and his pals "walked around the store and gathered the goods they purchased with" a stolen debit card before they left in a Ford pickup truck.
"Tyler can be seen getting in the driver seat, the female with the backwards hat entered the front passenger seat, the female with the gray shirt and the male with the black beanie got in the passenger side rear seat. They stayed parked for a while before finally reversing out and drove away," the affidavit says.
The affidavit also says police interviewed someone in connection with the crime spree who alleged that Boebert had made a "sex tape" with someone involved in the ordeal.
Business Insider could not immediately reach Boebert's defense attorney for comment on Thursday.
Boebert was all smiles on Wednesday during a virtual court hearing related to his arrest. Clad in a black-and-white jumpsuit, he appeared for the hearing via a video hookup from the Garfield County Jail.
During the hearing, a judge ordered Boebert to be released on a $1,250 personal-recognizance bond. His next court date is set for April 11.
Lauren Boebert told Business Insider in a statement Wednesday that her son should be "held accountable for poor decisions just like any other citizen."
Tyler Boebert's arrest is the latest upheaval in Lauren Boebert's bid for Colorado's Fourth District seat.
Lauren Boebert has been involved in a contentious split with her ex-husband, Jayson Boebert, with whom she has four sons. Jayson Boebert was recently arrested twice and Lauren Boebert now has a temporary restraining order against him.
Jayson Boebert was arrested in January after Tyler Boebert accused his father of shoving him to the ground, putting his hand in his mouth, and grabbing a rifle during the incident.