An Eagle County man has been charged with attempted armed robbery in Avon and stealing more than $15,000 in jewelry from a Vail store

An Eagle County man is in custody after being arrested and charged with attempted armed robbery at a convenience store in Avon and breaking into a jewelry store in Vail Village in the early morning hours of Oct. 20.

Mamadou Gatta Sow, a 40-year-old Edwards resident who was taken into custody Sunday, a week after two alleged crimes, faces eight felonies and one misdemeanor. Felony charges include attempted crime, aggravated robbery, theft of a motor vehicle, threatening with a weapon, tampering with evidence, second-degree burglary, theft between $20,000 and $100,000, and criminal mischief between $5,000 and $20,000. Gatta Sow was also charged with possession of burglary tools, a misdemeanor.

According to Sow’s arrest affidavit, the alleged incident began just after 4 a.m. on Oct. 20 at the Maverick grocery store in Avon. It started when a witness said Sow used what appeared to be a nine-millimeter handgun to threaten a worker. A convenience store asking the employee to give him the money that was in the store at the time. The worker said his response was to tell Sow there was no cash in the store and “there were cameras everywhere,” according to the affidavit.

“The suspect then fled the store and drove off in a silver Audi Q5,” according to the affidavit.

Seventeen minutes later, Vail town officers responded to the alarm at the Lamina jewelry store in Vail Village and observed that the front display case was broken along with a jewelry box inside the store.

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“Vail police officers reviewed Vail Township surveillance video and observed a silver Audi Q5 traveling westbound on Meadow Drive and stopping in front of Lamina,” according to the affidavit. “A group of dark-skinned males wearing a black ‘puffy’ jacket, black pants, black shoes and a white beanie-style hat emerge from the vehicle.

The report continues: “The suspicious party is walking towards the front of the Lamina carrying something, possibly a hammer or similar tool.” “The suspect is seen waving his arm towards the window, reaching for it, and then running towards his vehicle. As the suspect runs, he is seen putting something inside his jacket, which was later confirmed to be a jewelry display. “The vehicle then travels westbound on Meadow Drive, turns north onto Vail Road, and then travels through the Main Vail Roundabout in an unknown direction.”

The store manager at the jewelry store said 19 pieces of jewelry valued at $15,480 were stolen.

Officers examining security footage at the Avon grocery store saw body damage on the rear driver’s side of the vehicle, but there was no license plate on the vehicle.

Using a Colorado database, a Vail detective was able to locate an Audi with the same body damage as the Audi used in the attempted robbery and burglary, according to the affidavit. The vehicle was registered to a Vail man whom Vail police later contacted through a search warrant. While executing the arrest warrant, police found and arrested the man hiding in the shower of the house. No items related to theft were found in the residence.

An Avon Police Department detective who interviewed the arrested party learned that Sow had been driving the man’s vehicle the night of the alleged robbery. Officers seized and searched the vehicle and found a gold earring and a gold necklace, which were later confirmed to have been stolen from Lamina.

“On the rear passenger side floorboard was a heavy blue plumbing wrench inside a black plastic garbage bag; this tool may have been used to break the glass window and jewelry box on the Lamina,” according to the affidavit. “A pair of black cargo pants was located on the rear driver’s side floorboard; the pants appeared to be consistent with the pants the suspect was wearing in the Maverick gas station video.”

Officers then began investigating Sow’s home in Edwards and were eventually able to catch and arrest Sow on Sunday. He is being held on $100,000 bail and is scheduled to appear in court on December 3.

This isn’t Sow’s first criminal behavior in Eagle County; Earlier this year, he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor assault charge and was sentenced to 114 days in jail, receiving credit for time served. He also pleaded guilty to class 5 criminal mischief, for which he was sentenced to 106 days in jail, and also received credit for time served.