Jessica Ridgeway. Photo from KUSA
Story from KUSA, 9News
WESTMINSTER, CO - Westminster Police have made an arrest in the Jessica Ridgeway case.
The suspect, 17-year-old Austin Reed Sigg, was taken into
custody on Tuesday. Sigg is a student at Arapahoe Community College,
according to the custody report released by Westminster Police.
Sigg's Westminster home is about five miles from the home of Ridgeway, who disappeared Oct. 5. Her body was found five days later in a field at a park.
9NEWS Investigative Reporter Jeremy Jojola was able to speak with Sigg's mother, but she did not want to comment on his arrest.
Westminster Police said in a press release Wednesday:
"Late Tuesday evening, police received a call that led them to a home
near the Ketner Lake Open Space. With this discovery, police [announce]
they made an arrest in the Ridgeway murder investigation. Additionally,
authorities will file charges against the attacker in the May 28, 2012
attempted abduction at Ketner Lake."
Westminster Police announced on Monday evening there is a direct link
between the Memorial Day attempted abduction at Ketner Lake and the
Jessica Ridgeway murder case.
Over the Memorial Day weekend police say a jogger was attacked from
behind at Ketner Lake by a man who used a chemical-soaked rag to try and
subdue her. The woman fought off her would-be abductor.
For days, police spoke of a possible connection between the Ketner
Lake incident and the Jessica Ridgeway kidnapping, but it wasn't until
Monday that they officially linked the two cases.
Monday evening, police also told 9NEWS that they have ruled out other
evidence that has been recovered as they investigate the Ridgeway
case.
Most notably, police say some grocery receipts for garbage bags that
were discovered after Ridgeway's body was found are not related to the
case.
Meanwhile, investigators are still testing potential evidence that was found by a woman at Pattridge Park on Sunday.
The woman reported to police that she found a "clump of hair" while walking in a field.
Police collected that item and say they are not certain it is hair
and are waiting for further testing to determine if it's relevant to the
Ridgeway investigation.