This image provided by the City of Rifle Police Department shows Tyler Jay Boebert, arrested Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024 and facing possible felony charges of criminal possession of identification documents involving multiple victims and conspiracy to commit a felony, the Rifle Police Department said in a statement. The oldest son of U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert was in a Colorado jail on Wednesday after being arrested in connection with a recent string of vehicle break-ins and property thefts. (City of Rifle Police Department via AP)

DENVER (AP) — The oldest son of U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert is suspected of being part of a group of friends who used credit cards stolen from cars to make purchases at gas stations and McDonald's, according to court documents released Wednesday.

Tyler Boebert, 18, was identified as a suspect after being spotted in a surveillance video at a gas station store with the group when one of the stolen cards was used for a purchase by someone else, according to his arrest affidavit. He was wearing a hoodie from Shooter’s Grill, the restaurant once owned by Lauren Boebert, and was also recognized by police from previous encounters, the document said.

The name of the other person using the stolen credit card, believed to be a juvenile, was redacted.

Police in the small western Colorado city of Rifle announced Tuesday that Tyler Boebert had been arrested in connection with a recent string of vehicle break-ins and property thefts and was facing possible felony charges of criminal possession of identification documents involving multiple victims and conspiracy to commit a felony. He also faces over 15 additional misdemeanor and petty offenses, police said in a statement.

Boebert was released Wednesday after appearing in court briefly by video from jail, wearing a black-and-white striped uniform. Defense lawyer Peyton Miller told Magistrate Jill McConaughy that prosecutors had agreed for his release without bail, and McConaughy agreed to allow that. No charges have been filed against him.

A prosecutor told McConaughy that juveniles were suspected of being involved in the theft and use of credit cards, and the judge ordered that the names of any of them be redacted from the affidavit.

Miller is a lawyer for the state public defender’s office, which does not comment on its cases to the media. She did not address the allegations during the court hearing.

In a statement, Lauren Boebert said she loves her son and he “has been through some very difficult, public challenges for a young man and the subject of attention that he didn’t ask for” but should also be held accountable like anyone else.

“It breaks my heart to see my child struggling and in this situation, especially when he has been provided multiple opportunities to get his life on track. I will never give up on him and I will continue to be there for him,” she said.

Lauren Boebert, a staunch ally of former President Donald Trump, used to live in a town near Rifle, a city of about 10,000, but switched districts in December to run in a more solidly Republican district after facing a tough reelection bid back home.

Earlier this month she obtained a temporary restraining order against her ex-husband after accusing him of threatening to harm her and entering the family's home without permission. It was the latest in a series of flare-ups between her and Jayson Boebert. In seeking the order, she cited the family turmoil as another reason for her move to Windsor in her new district.

News from © The Associated Press, 2024