Police use DNA to track down man accused of burglarizing jewelry store during Ruidoso wildfires

RUIDOSO, New Mexico (KVIA) -- The New Mexico State Police Crime Suppression Bureau used DNA testing to track down the man accused of burglarizing Johnston Jewelry during the 2024 Ruidoso wildfires.

Ruidoso Downs resident Uziah Alaniz, 25, is charged with Aggravated Burglary (Deadly Weapon), Possession of Burglary Tools, Larceny (over $20,000), Tampering with Evidence, and Criminal Damage to Property.

As the wildfires were raging, the bureau was in the town helping with evacuations, roadblocks, and public safety. As they worked, agents found that Johnston Jewelry, located on Sudderth Drive, had been broken into and burglarized.

New Mexico State Police officials say that a window had been broken and display cases damaged. Agents were able to locate blood seemingly left behind by the suspect. They were then able to collect DNA samples and send them out to the FBI Laboratory. The evidence was submitted to the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) and was identified as possibly belonging to Alaniz.

State Police officials then found that Alaniz was already incarcerated at the Northeast New Mexico Correctional Facility in Clayton, New Mexico on unrelated charges. They got a search warrant for his DNA in October 2025 and submitted those samples for comparison to the FBI laboratory.

The FBI confirmed the DNA match on December 29, 2025. Alaniz was then served an arrested warrant for the new charges.