‘Smash ‘N Grab’ Suspects Arrested
LAS CRUCES NM – LCPD has solved the “smash and grab” burglaries of at least four area convenience stores that have occurred over the past few weeks.
14-year-old Luis Albert Cipriano and 16-year-old Miguel Castaneda were referred to the Juvenile Probation Office for their involvement in a string of convenience store burglaries. The boys were then turned over to the custody of their relatives.
On Friday evening,police received information that a runaway teenage girl was possibly at the Coachlight Inn at 301 N. Motel Blvd. When police arrived at the scene, they located the runaway girl and several teenage boys. Two of the boys, Cipriano and Castaneda, matched the description of suspects in a series of convenience store burglaries.
Through their investigation, police detectives cleared the smash and grab burglaries at Pic Quik stores located atNorth Valley Dr., Dalrymple Rd.,and Lohman Avenue.The Diamond Shamrock store on West Picacho Avenue was also burglarized.
The burglaries are known as “smash and grab” burglaries because of the method used to commit the crime. The perpetrators would use a rock or brick to break a store window, gain entry, grab merchandise and then exit the business in a relatively short time.
