EL PASO COUNTY, COLO. -- Colorado investigators have arrested two people accused of breaking into homes after homeowners were forced to flee because of the Waldo Canyon Fire.
Investigators with the Colorado Bureau of Investigation arrested 38-year-old Belinda Yates and 36-year-old Shane Garrett for numerous charges after officials were led to them in an unrelated investigation.
Officials didn't say exactly what area they broke into but said both were caught in Monument and had meth on them when they were arrested.
Their charges include second degree burglary, possession of a controlled substance, possession of a weapon by a previous offender and theft by receiving. Officials were searching for them in an identity theft case.
“It’s difficult to believe, but disaster situations prompt some would-be criminals to take advantage of the heartbreak facing residents forced to evacuate their homes,” CBI Director Ron Sloan said in a statement. “Law enforcement takes this seriously and will work together to identify and arrest these individuals.”