Man Suspected in Storage Unit Burglaries
Las Cruces police arrested a man suspected of burglarizing several storage units in early February.
Marcus Anthony Ortiz, 36, of the 5200 block of Hermanitas Place just north of Las Cruces, was charged with three felony counts of non-residential burglary.
On February 6, a Las Cruces Police Department Community Outreach officer saw a suspicious vehicle at the Telshor Storage facility at 560 N. Telshor Blvd. The vehicle, identified as a dark gray Chevrolet Malibu, attempted to speed away from the facility but LCPD officers caught up with the vehicle and conducted a traffic stop. The driver was identified as Ortiz.
Inside the vehicle, officers found various items that were determined to have been stolen from three storage lockers at Telshor Storage. The stolen items included collectible coins and foreign currency, classical guitars, amplifiers and speakers, a collectible pistol, jewelry and kitchen appliances.
Police also found several boxes of brand-new padlocks in the vehicle similar to padlocks found on other storage units that had previously been burglarized. Police believe the suspect would cut the owner’s lock and replace the damaged padlock with a new one.
The investigation is ongoing. Police are releasing a photo of the Chevy Malibu Ortiz was using to commit some of the burglaries. Anyone who recognizes the vehicle or believes it may have been involved in similar incidents is asked to call police at (575) 526-0795.
Ortiz was arrested Feb. 18 and booked into the Dona Ana County Detention Center. He has since been released from custody.
