Cops turn tables on accused thief

Keith Paul

Wednesday, June 21, 2000 | 11:25 a.m.

Metro Police found a way to frustrate and confuse one accused car thief -- steal the cars back.

Detectives from the repeat offender unit recently started watching Juliano Rosado, 29, when he was spotted in a new Toyota Avalon with a Fletcher Jones paper tag. A quick call to the auto dealer revealed the car had not been purchased.

When Rosado parked the stolen car a couple of blocks from his home, detectives obtained a duplicate key and took the car back, said Sgt. Clint Robison of the unit that targets repeat criminals.

When Rosado came out of his home, he started looking around for the car, police said. When he couldn't find it, police accuse him of going to another car dealership and stealing a 2000 Chevy Silverado pickup truck.

Detectives watched him as he parked the truck and went into a pawnshop. Before he come back out, the detectives used a spare key to the truck and took it back.

"When he came out he started looking up the street, waiting to see the truck. You could see his shoulders slump when he saw it wasn't there," Detective Mike King said.

But what happened next was a little unexpected.

"He was forced to use public transportation at that point. He took the bus right up to Fletcher Jones Toyota," Robison said.

Police say Rosado stole a new Toyota 4-Runner sport utility vehicle from the dealership. Police suspect their case is fairly strong as they not only watched the car being stolen June 14, but also videotaped the theft.

Police took him into custody that night but he was released after he agreed to cooperate with detectives on another ongoing case and promised not to steal any more cars, Lt. Jim Moses said today.

But he failed to cooperate on the other case and on Tuesday police arrested him for stealing a new Plymouth Voyager from another auto dealership.

Rosado was booked into the Clark County jail Tuesday afternoon on four counts of grand theft auto.

"He was so brazen," Robison said. "Even after all the times we took the stolen cars back, he'd be in another one."