PD seeks help in solving Gallup burglaries

Copyright © 2008
Gallup Independent
By Phil Stake
Staff writer

GALLUP — Police are looking for leads on a slew of burglaries that hit Gallup during the past two months.

With two residential burglaries during October and six so far this month, Gallup Police Detective Lt. Rick White said the department needs help from citizens.

“If you see anything, hear anything, then call,” White said Wednesday.

With one exception, all of the burglaries have taken place east of the Muñoz overpass; homes on the 900 block of Ute Circle, 1500 block of Kit Carson Drive, 900 block of Country Club Drive, 500 block of Green Avenue and the 200 block of Hemlock Canyon Trail have all been hit.

A woman who was staying next door to a home on the 100 block of Valley View Drive called police when she saw three men running from the home with a bulging pillowcase Oct. 2.

“I heard something and looked out the window and I saw three guys running,” Valerie Guerrero said. “I didn’t get a great look but I knew there were two white guys and a black guy.”

Guerrero said a painter who was working next door ran after the three males, but to no avail.

“I looked out the window again and it was the painter and he said ‘Did you see that? Somebody just broke into the house,” Guerrero said. “They had slid open the back window and broke in and stole a bunch of stuff ... (police) got hold of the owner and she came down and said it was the second time someone tried to break into that house.”

The men were seen leaving in a gray or silver car.

Another burglary, which took place Nov. 6 on Ute Circle, found resolution soon thereafter when the homeowner identified the culprits.

“Ours is kind of localized ... and we took care of it and got all our stuff back,” James Dodson said.

In that case, the burglars were teenagers who mysteriously showed up at home with a new Xbox 360 and some games.

“These are kids. All of a sudden they showed up with stuff at their house and their parents saw it,” Dodson said.
But not all of the burglary victims have been so fortunate.

Crimestoppers is offering up to $1,000 for information about any or all of the burglaries, which leads to an arrest.
To contact Crimestoppers in Gallup, call 722-6161. Anonymous calls are always welcome.