GILLETTE, Wyo. — Andrew Nibbe was arrested early Saturday after allegedly taking a coworker’s vehicle without permission following a Christmas party, according to a probable cause affidavit filed in Circuit Court.
Gillette police responded around 10 p.m. Dec. 5 to an automatic crash notification for a 2022 Jeep Compass near South Douglas Highway and Interstate 90. When officers arrived, neither the vehicle nor its driver was at the scene, prompting contact with the owner.
The owner told police that he, Nibbe, and another friend were driving home from a holiday party at Bell Knob Golf Course, where all three had been drinking. He said Nibbe threw his phone out the window, and when the owner pulled over to retrieve it, Nibbe got into the driver’s seat and drove away. The SUV, valued at approximately $18,000, had the key fob inside, and the owner had not given Nibbe permission to take it.
Officers located Nibbe at his apartment on Garner Lake Road shortly after midnight on Dec. 6. He appeared highly intoxicated, slurring his speech and struggling to stand. A portable breath test recorded a blood alcohol concentration of 0.237%.
According to the affidavit, Nibbe initially told officers he did not have permission to drive the Jeep, later claiming he did. Police determined there was probable cause to arrest him on suspicion of felony theft.
Nibbe was booked into the Campbell County Detention Center and is presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
