APD: Five stolen cars in one parking lot

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - Detectives in APD's Property Crime Unit hit the jackpot Monday finding five stolen cars in a parking lot at an area motel.

"It was like every two or three hours there was a stolen car driving through there," Lieutenant Scott Lopez said.

The officers were in the area of the Motel 6 off of Interstate 25 and Alameda conducting a tactical operation.

"While we were doing our operation we noticed two stolen cars in the parking lot so officers set up surveillance," said Lopez.

After awhile someone got in one of them, a truck and drove off, that's when officers moved in.

According to APD Ashley Wasniewski, 22 was driving the truck she and her 46-year-old passenger Joe Newberry were both arrested.

Once they had the two in custody officers headed back to the motel with a warrant.

"While doing that the detectives on scene noticed a white dodge pickup truck in the parking lot which they had information that it was stolen as well," Lt. Lopez said.

Officers again staked the motel out and their patience paid off.

Lopez said Gilbert Marquez, 34 eventually got in the truck and took off, he refused to pull over for officers. Lt. Lopez said the officers let him go to avoid a dangerous chase and returned to the motel once again.

"We noticed two more stolen vehicles in the same parking lot so a total of five stolen vehicles at the Motel 6," said the Property Crimes Lieutenant.

Officers again sat on the cars and this time around got a double hit but they recovered more than the two stolen cars.

"Inside both of those vehicles we found a number of guns, three out of the four of them were stolen," Lopez said.

Detectives arrested brothers Evan and Skylar Smith for those thefts and found out the two are wanted in other crimes in Los Alamos and Santa Fe.

"Two of these arrests may solve crimes up to 100 miles away and we're not talking one or two crimes we're talking in the teens to twenties," said Lopez.

To this point Lopez said the five stolen cars appear to be four totally separate cases with the brothers being responsible for two of them.

As for why all these car thieves chose this motel, Lopez told News 13 he believes its because they can pay for their rooms in cash.

"Criminals who might have outstanding warrants or who maybe up to no good often time frequent these hotels because they don't have to prove identity," He said.

APD plans to continue its operation through the rest of the month.