Vail police report Braden suicide in Arizona

The Vail Police Department on Saturday put out the following press release on the apparent suicide of former Town of Vail IT director Ron Braden in Arizona:

(Vail)—The Vail Police Department has been notified that Ronald James Braden, 55, died by suicide today (11-21) in Arizona as law enforcement officers were attempting to contact him.

Braden had been a fugitive since Nov. 13 after he cut off his court ordered GPS monitoring device.

On Friday (11-20), Vail Police detectives developed information that Braden had fled to Maricopa County, Arizona. The Maricopa County Fugitive Task Force was contacted and alerted to Braden’s location.

Earlier today [Saturday] at approximately 9:30 a.m. after several hours of surveillance, members of the Task Force attempted to contact Braden.

Before deputies could make contact, Braden shot himself and was pronounced dead on scene.

Twenty-four-hour GPS monitoring had been ordered by the court as a condition of Braden’s release on bond from the Eagle County Detention Facility on Aug. 27 following his arrest on July 4.

Braden was arrested and charged with multiple crimes including violations of the Colorado Organized Crime Control Act, embezzlement of public property, theft, official misconduct, forgery and assault on a peace officer.

These charges resulted from an 18-month investigation in conjunction with the Federal Bureau of Investigation for theft of public funds. Braden resigned from the town’s employment after his 2018 arrest for soliciting a minor for prostitution.

The Vail Police Department are continuing to investigate the circumstances of Braden’s fleeing Eagle County. Anyone with information regarding Braden’s flight from Eagle County is encouraged to contact Cmdr. Ryan Kenney (970) 477-3433.