Las Cruces Police charge man suspected of stealing car

Las Cruces Police arrested Johnny Ray Morales, 21, who is suspected of stealing a car that had been parked outside the owner’s home Saturday morning. Morales is charged with a single count of unlawful taking of a motor vehicle, a fourth-degree felony. Investigators learned that a 2005 Ford Focus was stolen sometime around 7 a.m. Saturday from a residence on the 1700 block of Defiance Road. The owner of the vehicle indicated that the key would sometimes get stuck in the ignition, so he did not remove the key the night before. On Saturday evening, a Las Cruces police officer spotted the Focus parked at 806 Alamo St. and saw Morales nearby. Police questioned Morales and discovered he was also in possession of a bank card belonging to the vehicle’s owner. Investigators learned that Morales and his girlfriend were walking along Defiance when he saw the key in the ignition of the Ford Focus. Morales indicated to investigators that they got into the vehicle and he drove away, knowing he did not have any permission to take the car. Morales was arrested Saturday evening and booked into the Dona Ana County Detention Center where he currently being held on a $1,000 bond.