Saturday, August 30, 2008

Cousins indicated on robbery, assault charges

Clara Garcia News-Bulletin Staff Writer; cgarcia@news-bulletin.com

Los Lunas Police are looking for one of two cousins indicted on charges that they robbed two Los Lunas businesses at gunpoint earlier this summer.

Jeremiah Lopez, 19, and David Lopez, 22, both of Belen, were indicted last week by a grand jury on two counts of armed robbery, two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, two counts of conspiracy and two counts of larceny.

Los Lunas Police Detective Denise Romero said Jeremiah Lopez has already been arrested and is in custody, but his cousin, David Lopez, has not yet been found. A grand jury warrant has been issued for his arrest.

Romero is asking anyone with information about where he is to call the Los Lunas Police Department. "We're considering him armed and dangerous because of the nature of the crimes, and we haven't yet recovered the weapon used in the robberies," Romero said.

On the afternoon of June 25, Los Lunas police were called to two separate robberies within minutes of each other. Police immediately suspected that the two crimes were connected.

Romero said the first robbery occurred at Checker Auto Parts on the 2300 block of Main Street at about 5:30 p.m. Romero said the manager of the store reported that a male subject, described as in his early 20s, had entered the store and he could hear several tools being taken off the wall.

"He (the manager) sent an employee to see what the customer was doing, and that's when the employee witnessed the guy putting tools into a backpack." Romero said. "When the employee confronted the man and told him to put the items back, the male subject pulled out a silver handled gun and held it up to the employee's head and yelled out obscenities at him."

The detective said the employee again told him that if he didn't put the merchandise back he would call the police. In response, the man told the store employee to "go ahead, call the police." The robber then held the gun to his side in what was described to police in a threatening manner before running out of the store and across the street heading toward Fashion Bug.

"A few minutes later, officers were dispatch to Fashion Bug in regards to an armed robbery," Romero said. "When the officers arrived, the female employee, who was quite upset at the time, gave a description of a car with two, young Hispanic males and a female sitting in the back seat. She did provide a license plate number, but it didn't come back to the vehicle described."

The store employee told the officers that one of the men walked into the store asking for help in purchasing clothing for his girlfriend. After the woman helped him pick out about $200 worth of clothes, the man told her that he needed something else located at the front of the store.

"At this time, he ran out the front door with the merchandise," Romero said. "She (the employee) ran after him and was able to grab him from his T-shirt and yelled at him to give her the items back."

Another man approached them from the right side of the building carrying a silver handgun. The detective said the man pointed the gun at the woman and told her to let his friend go. She (the store employee) told police that the two men took off in the vehicle.

Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of David Lopez is asked to call Los Lunas Police Detective Denise Romero at 839-3855.

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