APD: Repeat bait car thief at it again

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) - We hear about it time and time again, thieves arrested then released from jail only to commit more crimes.

One of those thieves has now hit a new low.

Albuquerque Police arrested Anthony Chavez, 21 over the weekend for auto burglary after officers said they caught him red-handed sitting in a car with its alarm going off, a car they say did not belong to Chavez.

According to online court records, Chavez was released from the Metro Detention Center on December 5, the judge did not make him post a bond so he could undergo a competency evaluation.

"Ten days later he goes to the Southeast area and victimizes a poor family even stealing their Toys for Tots voucher," said APD Property Crimes Lieutenant Scott Lopez.

Chavez is no stranger to APD.

Over the last three years he has been arrested nearly a half-dozen times for auto burglaries and auto theft.

Just this summer News 13 reported on Chavez after APD said he was the first person to be caught on two different bait car videos.

Lt. Lopez said he was caught on camera breaking into one bait car in June and then arrested after stealing a different bait car in July.

Chavez spent three months in jail awaiting trial for those charges before a judge granted his release.

APD's Property Crime Unit said while Chavez's most recent arrest is frustrating, it is not surprising because they see this kind of thing all too often.

In fact Lt. Lopez said just last week they arrested another offender, Alex Cordova 22 for auto theft and conspiracy after he admitted to being a passenger in a stolen car.

APD said that arrest came just seven days after Cordova himself was arrested for stealing a car then bonded out.

As of Monday night Cordova had already bonded out of jail again.

"Right now MDC is over populated and so property crime offenders are not high on the list of people that need to be sitting in jail so its a revolving door, they get kicked out they re-offend, they get kicked out," Lopez said.

It is something APD would like to see change telling News 13 it is time Judges stop lowering or getting rid of bonds altogether for career criminals like Chavez.

"I understand they're under pressure but if we hold these guys accountable they can't bond out then that means they can't be out re-offending," said the Lieutenant.

The Judge Chavez face on Sunday doubled his bond from $7,500 cash or surety to $15,000 cash or surety, even so Chavez can still get out of jail for just $1,500.

One of the APD officers who arrested Chavez for the thefts over the weekend went out and bought toys for the child whose Toys for Tots voucher was taken, so the boy would not miss out on Christmas.