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Police arrest man linked to three robberiesNov 22, 2012 (The Santa Fe New Mexican - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- Police have arrested a 21-year-old Santa Fe man on charges connected to three Tuesday burglaries, and investigators are looking for three other men they say were in a getaway car with the suspect after the burglaries. A brief chase of a brown Toyota Camry in south Santa Fe ended near the Regal Santa Fe Stadium 14 off Cerrillos Road on Tuesday afternoon, Sgt. Andrea Dobyns said Wednesday. Of the four people in the sedan, three fled into the fields near the theater, she said, but officers apprehended David Perez-Mendoza. Found in the car, which was abandoned after it mounted a curb, was evidence linking the men to three burglaries on Tuesday -- two in the city and one in the county -- Dobyns said. "In plain view in the car were several laptop computers and a PlayStation," Dobyns said. Perez-Mendoza was charged with conspiracy, tampering with evidence, two counts of burglary, three counts of receiving stolen property, resisting or evading an officer and unlawful use of switchblade. Dobyns said police responded to an anonymous report of a residential burglary in progress at about 1 p.m. Tuesday on Coyote Moon Lane near Governor Miles Road. Dobyns said the caller was able to give a description of the suspects' vehicle, along with its license plate number. A public safety officer saw the brown Toyota on Governor Miles Road minutes later, and police began a pursuit. Dobyns said the suspects turned onto Cerrillos Road and headed north to Zafarano Drive. During the chase, Dobyns said, the suspects were throwing objects out of the car's windows, including bandannas and rubber gloves. Police have questioned Perez-Mendoza but have not been able to get any information on the three individuals who remain at large. Police searched the car Tuesday and found several TVs and other property that matched reports from earlier burglaries, as well as a bottle of stolen hydrocodone pills, Dobyns said. Police were then given permission to search Perez-Mendoza's house by his parents, and investigators found another stolen TV and various other electronics. According to a Santa Fe County sheriff's online police report, Perez-Mendoza was charged with burglary in the theft of a 42-inch flat-screen Sony TV, an Xbox video-game system, a Nintendo Wii game console, an RCA Blu-ray player, and various video games and DVD movies. In March, Perez-Mendoza was arrested on charges of DWI, unlawful taking of a motor vehicle, aggravated fleeing of law enforcement, resisting or evading law enforcement and driving with a suspended or revoked license. He was released after he spent three days in the Santa Fe County jail. As of Wednesday night, Perez-Mendoza was being held at the county jail in lieu of a $25,000 surety bond. Contact Nico Roesler at 986-3089 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @nicoroesler ___ (c)2012 The Santa Fe New Mexican (Santa Fe, N.M.) Visit The Santa Fe New Mexican (Santa Fe, N.M.) at www.santafenewmexican.com Distributed by MCT Information Services |