Steamboat Pilot & Today

Steamboat Springs — A 20-year-old New York man turned himself in to authorities earlier this week for allegedly stealing a van last fall.

Mark Phillip Nix has been charged with aggravated motor vehicle theft, a class three felony, for allegedly stealing a $30,000 van between Oct. 27 and Nov. 3.

Nix was booked into the Routt County Jail Tuesday. He later posted $20,000 in cash and was released to his father.

Steamboat Springs Detective Dave Kleiber said Nix gave himself up after his parents were contacted in New York in December.

The Port Chester man and his family arranged to travel to Steamboat Springs so he could be booked into the county jail and then be allowed to post bail to return to New York, Kleiber said.

Routt County Judge James Garrecht issued an arrest warrant for Nix Dec. 13.

Kleiber sought the arrest warrant after investigating the theft for about a month.

Local investigators began focusing on Nix after the 1992 Ford van was recovered Nov. 3 in Carbon County, Wyo.

According to court records, Nix allegedly stole the van, which was for sale and parked in the 2800 block of Gulf Stream Court.

Nix allegedly drove the van north but wrecked the vehicle south of Baggs, Wyo., on Nov. 1.

Nix was able to hitch a ride into town and was later questioned by a Baggs police officer. Nix allegedly told the officer, who was unaware of the theft, that he wrecked his vehicle outside of town, records show.

Carbon County Sheriff's deputies found the vehicle two days later and notified the van's owner, who was not aware the vehicle had been stolen.

Kleiber was able to connect Nix to the stolen vehicle through the police report filed by the Baggs officer, he said.

Kleiber said he has not been able to determine why Nix was in Steamboat Springs. However, he does suspect the young man allegedly stole the van to get to Montana. Nix's next appearance in Routt County Court is scheduled for March 27.