ICE deports man arrested in Routt County fuel theft case
One of the men allegedly involved in fuel theft in Routt County was deported by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement earlier this month, according to Deputy District Attorney Joseph Bucci.
Victoriano Cayetano Leon, 42, was arrested Dec. 13 and charged with felony theft and conspiracy along with third-degree burglary and driving under a suspended or revoked license after he allegedly stole around 500 gallons of fuel from the Pilot Flying J gas station in Steamboat Springs.
Police became aware of the theft in the process after an employee at a nearby business reported a white Ford F-450 truck had been loading fuel at the gas station “for over an hour,” according to arrest documents.
Cayetano Leon’s bond was originally set at $7,500 but later lowered to $5,000. He was released from Routt County Jail in mid-December after paying the lowered bond.
Cayetano Leon later failed to appear for a court date on Jan. 8, which led to Routt County Judge Erin Wilson issuing a warrant for his arrest with a new bond of $10,000. He was then detained by ICE later in January.
According to criminal record documents obtained by the newspaper, Cayetano Leon’s first arrest in Colorado was in Jefferson County in 2015 for assault. He was arrested eight more times after that.
Cayetano Leon has faced charges including intimidation and stalking, violation of a protection order, tampering with evidence, robbery and vehicle theft, child abuse, harassment, fraud and traffic offenses. His Colorado arrests span Denver, Jefferson, Adams and Routt counties, according to criminal record documents.
During a status conference Wednesday, Cayetano Leon did not appear virtually from the ICE detainment facility in Aurora, despite Routt County Court requesting his appearance.
According to Bucci, Cayetano Leon was deported to Mexico around March 5. Judge Wilson issued a warrant for his arrest and set bond at $10,000.
If Cayetano Leon ever re-enters the country and is detained by law enforcement, the warrant and his case will continue in Routt County Court.
Support Local Journalism
Support Local Journalism
Readers around Steamboat and Routt County make the Steamboat Pilot & Today’s work possible. Your financial contribution supports our efforts to deliver quality, locally relevant journalism.
Now more than ever, your support is critical to help us keep our community informed about the evolving coronavirus pandemic and the impact it is having locally. Every contribution, however large or small, will make a difference.
Each donation will be used exclusively for the development and creation of increased news coverage.