Police recover stolen trailer and equipment using tracking device

Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Julian Cole-Nieves recovered stolen equipment using GPS trackers hidden in his belongings.
The police used tracker data to obtain a search warrant and recover items.

SALT LAKE CITY — Thousands of dollars in specialized construction equipment are back in the hands of their rightful owner after thieves made off with an entire trailer full of gear. Thanks to a small yet effective precaution, the business owner was able to recover everything within days.

For nearly 15 years, Julian Cole-Nieves has worked in the trim carpentry industry, building a reputation for quality craftsmanship. But in late November 2024, his livelihood was put in jeopardy.

"All my stuff was gone," Cole-Nieves recounted. Thieves had stolen his entire trailer, along with all the equipment inside — valued at nearly $40,000.

South Jordan Police Lt. Adrian Montelongo noted that such thefts are not uncommon. "Some of these thefts are crimes of opportunity, which makes it sometimes difficult for us to track things down," Montelongo explained. However, Cole-Nieves' story took an unusual turn because of one inexpensive precaution he had taken.

Inside the trailer, Cole-Nieves had placed two small GPS trackers. These devices, costing around $20 to $30 each, were discreetly hidden among his tools for precisely this kind of scenario. "All of my tools or my AirTags were pinging in a garage," he said.

Using the tracker's signal, Cole-Nieves quickly identified a location in Kearns. Armed with this information, law enforcement obtained a search warrant within hours.

"They had enough probable cause to obtain the search warrants," Cole-Nieves recalled. The raid involved officers in bulletproof vests and riot shields. By the end of the operation, much of Julian's equipment was recovered. Within days he had it all back, including the trailer.

"A small GPS device that cost him maybe $20, $30 saved him tens of thousands of dollars in property," Montelongo said, highlighting the value of inexpensive security measures.

But the story didn't end there. Cole-Nieves' social media post about the theft and recovery went viral, garnering nearly 5 million views. The attention put unexpected pressure on the thief.

For nearly 15 years, Julian Cole-Nieves has worked in the trim carpentry industry, building a reputation for quality craftsmanship. His stolen property was recovered thanks to an inexpensive tracking device. (Photo: Avi Robledo, KSL-TV)

"The thief saw it and he was pressured by his family to turn himself in," he said.

This experience has made him even more cautious. "I now have seven AirTags in my trailer, a wheel lock with a 12-decibel alarm. So, hopefully it does the trick," he said with determination.

With his tools and trailer back, he's ready to continue doing what he loves: creating exceptional trim work.

Due to the high dollar amount of the crime, both men involved face felony charges.

The Key Takeaways for this article were generated with the assistance of large language models and reviewed by our editorial team. The article, itself, is solely human-written.