Home Law and Courts Sleuthy resident nabs auto burglar

Sleuthy resident nabs auto burglar

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A Hobbs resident reportedly tracked down an auto burglar Sunday night, leading to the arrest of the suspect on multiple auto burglary charges.

Seth Alvarado, 25, of Hobbs, was arrested Sunday night and charged with three counts of auto burglary, all fourth-degree felonies, tampering with evidence, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia, all misdemeanors.

Hobbs police said an officer was responding to a call at 7:48 p.m. Sunday when he was waived down by a man who said someone had broken into his car. The victim said he and his wife were sitting in the living room of their home in the 200 block of East Park Street when his wife noticed someone in the driveway.

The victim, who said he had left his car unlocked in his driveway, said he saw a Hispanic man in a blue jersey, later identified as Alvarado, walking away from his car and then running north on North Dalmont Street.

The victim said he ran after Alvarado and caught up with him within a few blocks. The victim said he asked Alvarado if he had taken anything out of his car and Alvarado said “No.”

The victim said he went back to his car to see if anything was missing, and noticed the only thing missing was a debit card in his name. The victim said he then drove his car to the area where he had last seen Alvarado.

“While in the area of E. Scharbauer and N. Dalmont, he had asked a bystander, who was standing near the intersection stated above, if had seen a Hispanic male wearing a blue jersey and that the bystander pointed to the residence (in the 200 block of East Scharbauer Street) stating he had run into that home,” states the criminal complaint against Alvarado.

The victim said that’s when he flagged down the Hobbs police officer.

The officer said he knocked on the door of the home to make contact with the suspect. He said a woman answered the door, and he noticed a Hispanic male with a blue jersey sitting on the living room couch. The woman said Alvarado had come into her home just minutes ago while out of breath.

The officer said he detained Alvarado pending further investigation. The officer said as he was handcuffing Alvarado, he noticed a glass pipe on the front porch of the residence. The woman, who said she knew Alvarado through her son’s friends, denied owning the glass pipe.

Police said when Alvarado was interviewed, he admitted to taking $10 from the victim’s car and to owning the glass pipe found on the porch.

Police said a search of Alvarado’s pockets revealed the victim’s debit card, a black phone with a woman’s name tag on it, a cellphone with a cracked screen, a silver ring with three diamonds on it, a gold heart-shaped ring, as well as a $20 bill, spare change, a lighter and pocketknife.

“I asked Seth what belonged to him from all the items that I had recovered from his pockets and he stated that the $20 bill, lighter and the pocketknife were his,” states the criminal complaint. “Seth also stated the golden ring belonged to his grandma.”

Police said Alvarado eventually admitted he had taken the items from prior auto burglaries.

Police went to the area of East Alston Street where one of the other auto burglaries occurred and made contact with a man who said his daughter’s cellphone had been stolen.

Police said the victim who had her cellphone with her name on it stolen came to the police station to recover it. That victim said her pickup truck had been burglarized in an alley north of the 300 block of East Alston Street while she was helping a friend with a mattress.

Police said as a crime scene technician was processing the victim’s car in the 200 block of East Park Street, an officer saw Alvarado reaching into his shoe. Police said Alvarado’s shoe contained prescription depression pills.

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