A man has been charged with stealing over 70 pairs of skis from a range of Colorado ski resorts, Summit Daily reports.
Jason Takeshi Kawaguchi, 40, from Boulder, CO was arrested after deputies allegedly discovered him stealing a pair of skis from Arapahoe Basin Ski Area. The subsequent investigation led to the discovery of a much bigger string of thefts throughout Summit and Boulder counties.
Kawaguchi appeared on bond to a hearing Wednesday afternoon at the Summit County Justice Center. No disposition has been reached in the case.
Back in June 2019, deputies were dispatched to A-Basin to investigate a report of stolen skis. CCTV footage showed the owner of the skis standing them in a rack and an unknown man them picking them up 30-minutes later. The suspect, believed to be Kawaguchi, placed the skis in a ski bag.
Three weeks later, deputies were again called to the resort on reports of ski theft. A man in ski boots, but without other equipment, was acting suspiciously. A member of the A-Basin security team saw him return to his vehicle with different pairs of skis and called the police, making sure to note the license plate. Four people reported having their skis stolen in a 90-minute period that day.
The license plate led deputies with the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office to execute a search warrant on Kawaguchi’s home where they discovered 74 pairs of skis, including pairs that that had also been reported stolen from Eldora Mountain, according to reports.
Kawaguchi is charged with felony theft. At the hearing, the case was continued so that he could complete a mental health assessment. He’s scheduled to return to court March 5.
Death by hanging