Authorities are searching for a man who allegedly jumped a 73-year-old hiker on the Boulder Creek Trail on Monday night, knocking him out and leaving with his wallet. The attack happened as the victim headed back to his parked vehicle near Boulder Canyon. He was taken to a hospital, where medical staff described his injuries as consistent with blunt-force trauma. The attacker ran off and has not been found.
What investigators say
According to CBS Colorado, Boulder County detectives say the confrontation started earlier on the trail, after the victim asked a man for a drag of a marijuana joint. The suspect later accused the hiker of stealing a joint that he said belonged to his girlfriend.
Detectives say the suspect followed the 73-year-old down the trail, repeatedly confronting him before finally striking him from behind as the victim walked toward his vehicle. The hiker was briefly unconscious but came to before EMS crews arrived and was then rushed to the hospital.
Where it happened
The stretch of trail in Boulder Canyon and along Boulder Creek is a busy corridor in peak season, full of hikers, cyclists, and people heading to and from the creek. That heavy summertime traffic along routes that link into the Boulder Creek Path is reflected in county visitation counts, according to Boulder County.
Suspect description and how to help
Detectives describe the suspect as a man in his late 20s, about 5-foot-6 and 130 pounds, muscular, with medium-brown hair. He was last seen in a tan T-shirt and olive green pants and reportedly spoke with an unidentified accent.
The case number is 26-03012. Anyone with information is asked to email [email protected] or call 303-441-3674, according to CBS Colorado.
Trail safety and past incidents
Incidents like this on front-range trails are rare, but they do happen. A high-profile stabbing on the Tenderfoot Trail in 2024 showed how quickly a tense encounter in the backcountry can turn violent and how crucial witness tips can be for cracking a case, as reported by Denver7.
If you were there
The Boulder County Sheriff's Office is asking anyone who was in the area around 9 p.m. Monday to check their phone photos, videos, or dash-cam recordings for anything that might help. Even small details could matter.
For official updates and additional information on the case, visit the sheriff's news page at the Boulder County Sheriff's Office.
