Felon gives up when his stolen car runs out of gas

Ignoring a stranded driver's request not to call police, a truck driver called 9-1-1 anyhow to report the stranded motorist on Interstate 25 early Friday morning.  

The call resulted in the arrest of Wesley Adam Braden, a 31-year-old ex-convict with several active warrants for his arrest. 

"We believe his car ran out of gas," Pueblo County Sheriff's Office spokesperson Gayle Perez told CBS4.

Braden tried to drove away in the 2008 Infiniti G35 when PCSO deputies arrived, but only managed to travel a short distance before deputies pulled him over. 

Braden gave up and was taken into custody. 

The arrest occurred at 3 a.m. near Stem Beach, an unincorporated community south of Pueblo at Exit 91. 

The car was determined stolen out of Colorado Springs, according to PCSO's press release about the incident. A loaded handgun was found inside.

Braden himself had active warrants out of Colorado Springs and Woodland Park, including one for attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon. 

As Braden was being booked, a new warrant was filed by detectives with the Fountain Police Department. Braden, it was learned, had allegedly fired a weapon and committed an armed robbery prior to stealing the car and running out of gas. 

Fountain PD's Lisa Schneider told CBS4 that the victim in that robbery identified Braden as the suspect. Braden was gone by the time officers arrived. 

Braden was jailed on new charges - including auto theft, possession of a weapon by a previous felony offender, and a protection order violation - in addition to the existing warrants. He was scheduled to appear before a judge for advisement Saturday afternoon.

A search of online public records indicates Braden was previously in the Colorado Department of Corrections following felony menacing convictions in Colorado Springs and Denver in 2015 and 2017.