Multiple News Crews Catch Man Accused of Burglary — While Filming Segments About the Suspect

A man accused of multiple burglaries is now in custody after being caught on camera by news crews covering his alleged crimes.

On Friday, Sept. 26, several local Colorado outlets were reporting on an individual “suspected of committing multiple trespasses and burglaries in neighborhoods along CO Hwy 103 in Idaho Springs” when they spotted someone matching the description, the Clear Creek County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release shared on Facebook.

The suspect, later identified as Richard Applequist, “walked directly by news cameras” before moving through a parking lot. According to the sheriff’s office, two news crews immediately called 911.

“Deputies and Idaho Springs Police quickly responded to the area and were able to locate and arrest Applequist,” the release said.

An “extensive search” had been launched for Applequist following a series of incidents between Sept. 23 and Sept. 25. Before his arrest, police believed he was still in the area and armed.

In a video released by the Clear Creek County Sheriff’s Office, the suspect can be seen carrying a gun. He allegedly caused over $4,000 in damages while trespassing at two properties and later trespassed at another, per CBS News.

The night before being caught on camera, police had located Applequist using a drone. Authorities said he crashed his vehicle and “rolled into [a] ditch” before fleeing on foot ahead of deputies’ arrival.

“After the ground search concluded, law enforcement continued to patrol the area throughout the night until this morning’s arrest,” the police release said.

CBS news anchor Justin Adams was among the reporters who spotted Applequist while covering his alleged crime spree in Idaho Springs.

Recalling the moment in the CBS Colorado studio, Adams said he had just asked authorities for the suspect’s description when he saw him on camera.

“After the 6:55 hit, [photographer] El Dee was kind of pointing out, there’s somebody who looks exactly like I was saying,” Adams said.

“I was kind of more in a sense of disbelief that wait a minute, this is the guy who I’m literally just talking about and described on live TV. He’s right now crossing the street, so I said, ‘Hey, put your camera on him,’ ” he continued.

“We don’t know what it’s going to be, but if nothing else, we make sure that we have that footage, and it turned out that was the individual as well,” Adams added.

Police arrived roughly 10 minutes after the sighting was reported.

Jenny Fulton, a spokesperson for the Clear Creek County Sheriff’s Office, described the situation as “amazing,” noting how rare it is for officers to apprehend a suspect while media is on the scene.

“This is how we got our suspect. We had media partners at CBS and other media partners report by calling 911 and saying, ‘Hey, I think we just found your suspect.’ And you were spot-on, and he’s in custody,” Fulton said.

Applequist is being held in the Clear Creek County jail pending charges including two counts of first-degree burglary, possession of a weapon by a previous offender, eluding, impersonating a peace officer, theft, criminal mischief, reckless endangerment, resisting arrest, and third-degree burglary, according to the Clear Creek County Sheriff’s Office.

“Applequist is now a person of interest in other burglaries that have occurred in the same general area in the past several weeks,” police said. “This is an ongoing investigation; if anyone has any information or has surveillance footage of this suspect or a suspicious person on their property, please email crime_tips@clearcreeksheriff.us or call our non-emergency number 303-980-7300.”