Douglas County Deputies Arrest Two Suspects in Highlands Ranch ATM Theft

Two suspects who exploited a malfunctioning ATM in Highlands Ranch did not get far before Douglas County Sheriff's Office deputies, aided by a drone, tracked them down nearby and recovered every dollar of the stolen cash.

Deputies responded to the ATM theft after receiving reports that the pair had grabbed cash from the malfunctioning machine. Rather than conducting a conventional ground search, deputies deployed a drone to locate the suspects, who were found in the vicinity of the theft. When deputies made contact, they discovered both individuals had outstanding warrants and were in possession of drugs. Both were booked on multiple charges.

The ATM theft was one of several retail and property crime cases DCSO deputies handled in Highlands Ranch in recent months. On June 18, day and swing shift deputies responded to a theft in progress at a grocery store in the 8600 block of South Quebec Street, where they arrested four female suspects, including two juveniles, connected to a felony-level theft that had already occurred at a separate grocery store in Centennial. Deputies detained the driver of a minivan in the parking lot and located three additional female suspects inside the store. Investigators identified the driver as 37-year-old Gabi Maria Lautaru, whom they believe acted as a lookout and alerted the others inside, prompting them to abandon the stolen merchandise before deputies made contact. Deputies recovered $9,600 worth of merchandise from the Highlands Ranch store and approximately $5,000 in additional stolen goods from inside the minivan, believed to be from the earlier Centennial theft. The two adult suspects were booked into the Douglas County Sheriff's Office Jail; the two juveniles were transported to the Foote Youth Services Center. All four face charges of theft and conspiracy, and Lautaru also faces a charge of contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

Sheriff Darren Weekly credited the arrests to cooperation between law enforcement and the business community. "Thanks to the vigilance of our local retailers and their willingness to report suspicious activity, we were able to identify and arrest this group responsible for stealing thousands of dollars in merchandise," Weekly said. "We recently asked our business community to speak up, and this case proves that Douglas County will respond. These arrests are the direct result of that partnership."

A third separate incident earlier this year underscored the pattern. On February 18, deputies responded to a theft in progress at a Highlands Ranch Target after reports of a shoplifter concealing items inside a suitcase. Asset Protection recognized the woman as a repeat suspect who had allegedly stolen from the same store multiple times since December 2025. Deputies waited outside until she passed all points of sale and exited the building before confronting her. Investigators determined she had stolen more than $7,000 in merchandise across those incidents and was also found to have a credit card that did not belong to her and an outstanding misdemeanor warrant from another department. She was taken into custody.

Specific charges and court dates in the ATM theft case, including the names and ages of the two suspects, had not been publicly released as of the time of reporting. The suspects' addresses in the June 18 grocery case were listed as currently unknown by DCSO.