BCSO: Man burglarized women's cars

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - Bernalillo County sheriff's deputies had been on the alert for a criminal lurking outside schools and community centers in and around Albuquerque waiting for women to park their cars so he can break into them.

But now they say they have him.

"Someone I work with closely had their purse taken out of their car," teacher Tania Dossey said.

Dossey works at Ernie Pyle Middle school, one of the places deputies said the suspect hit.

Last week detectives with the Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office arrested Gary Mares, 29, after they said he stole a credit card after breaking into a woman's car outside Navajo Elementary School in the South Valley on Aug. 9.

Sheriff's investigators said they found out where the credit card was being used and went to work looking for clues. Surveillance video from a South Valley gas station showed Mares gassing up a stolen car with the same card stolen from Navajo elementary, they said.

Deputies then served a warrant at Mares's home and reported they found the stolen credit card plus another 70 credit cards and 30 drivers licenses, many of the belonged to women.

Investigators said they believe Mares targeted women for his burglaries, sometimes watching them as they left their cars.

Mares has been arrested in connection to one of the break-ins, but investigators said he may be responsible for 22 more. He is behind bars on credit car and auto theft charges.

Investigators said he could soon be charged with nearly 100 more felony counts related to credit card theft.

Sheriff's deputies said Mares also stole credit cards from cars parked at community centers in Los Lunas and Rio Rancho.