A 32-year-old Phoenix man is facing felony charges after Glendale police say he made two separate overnight trips to a Bass Pro Shops store, making off with a kayak, a side-by-side UTV and a trailer worth roughly $20,143 combined. Josue Arratia Varela was arrested at the store near 91st and Glendale avenues after employees reviewing surveillance footage spotted him trying to open the store doors again, and he later told officers he was trying to get inside to buy a rifle.
According to court documents cited by The Arizona Republic, Arratia Varela was at the store as early as 11:45 p.m. on May 3, though ABC15 reports, also citing court records, that surveillance showed him on the property as early as 2:45 a.m. that same day. Either way, police say he used an unknown tool to cut a cord securing kayaks outside the store's front entrance, pulled one free, and tied it to the roof of a car before driving off.
A Second Trip, and a Side-by-Side
Court documents say Arratia Varela did not stop there. He returned and towed a Tracker side-by-side UTV with his father's Jeep Cherokee, hauling it and an attached utility trailer eastward at about 4:19 a.m., per the same court records referenced by the Republic. A burglary alarm came in about three minutes after that second vehicle left the lot, and Bass Pro Shops employees called police after reviewing footage and realizing someone had also tried the store's doors.
Glendale police released footage showing a kayak tied to the roof of a Ford Focus on one trip and a Jeep towing a side-by-side and trailer on a later trip. Glendale police officer Merced provided photos taken May 4 showing a green kayak tied to a Ford Focus, a utility trailer with a wooden deck, and the Tracker side-by-side — images that lined up with what detectives said they later found at Arratia Varela's Phoenix home.
Evidence Recovered at the Suspect's Home
Detectives located the side-by-side at Arratia Varela's Phoenix residence and found the trailer parked on the street outside, with the kayak still tied to the roof of his Ford Focus. Investigators also reported that he had swapped a trailer tire for one without a wheel lock, and inside the Ford Focus, detectives said they found a cut wheel lock from the side-by-side along with a saw consistent with the tool used to cut it. A wrench with an attachment matching the trailer's lug nuts was also recovered, according to court documents.
Court records list the UTV's value at $16,624, the trailer at $3,299.99 and the kayak at $219.99, figures reported by ABC15. Glendale Police Sgt. Justin Ramsay said detectives recovered all three stolen items and returned them to Bass Pro Shops. Police booked Arratia Varela on suspicion of third-degree burglary, theft of means of transportation, theft and possession of burglary tools, and a release questionnaire lists prior convictions for aggravated DUI, extreme DUI and disorderly conduct.
Charges Filed Months Later
Maricopa County prosecutors charged Arratia Varela on October 15 with theft, a class 3 felony, and attempted third-degree burglary, a class 5 felony. Police had described him as uncooperative with jail staff following his arrest. He is summoned to appear in Maricopa County Superior Court on November 16, and the Republic reported it was unable to reach Arratia Varela by phone for comment.
