Crook flees court before sentencing

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - Albuquerque police know Joe Cabral really well as a busy thief they expected to see marched off to jail Monday.

Instead he looked around the courtroom, saw who was there and bolted.

Investigators have alleged Cabral has burglarized homes and businesses over the last few years. Cabral hits pretty much any store selling computers, they said.

Albuquerque Police Department Chief Ray Schultz said some of the businesses Cabral has hit included Target stores, Wal-Mart, Kohl's and Office Depot.

That's landed him on APD's list of the five worst criminals in the city.

“He is probably responsible for tens of thousands of dollars of theft,” Schultz said. “He gets arrested, spends some time at MDC, gets released and then goes right back to committing the same type of crimes.”

Prosecutors combined three cases against Cabral and then cut a plea deal with him. He was released on his word that he would show back up to court for sentencing, and he did.

Bill Hoch with the Bernalillo County DA’s office, “Just before he was called up he told his lawyer he needed to go to the bathroom," Bill Hoch with the Bernalillo County District Attorney's Office said. "There was a female with him, and they left the courtroom together, and as it turns out they never came back.”

“I do this a lot, and this is the first time I've ever seen that happen.”

Schultz said he thinks Cabral ran because of who was in the audience.

“We were in court today hoping to send him away for a long time," the chief said.

Two members of APD's top brass and managers from two retail stores Cabral ripped off were waiting to tell the judge Cabral is a big problem Cabral is in hopes he would draw a stiff sentence.

The effort to get harsher punishments comes from new communication between police and commercial property crime victims.

On a private Web site retailers post pictures and details of robbers to warn other businesses.
Police send out alerts and information about court appearances so business owners can show up.

“I will bet heavily that he will re-offend while he is out," Hoch said.

Schultz said he thinks so, too.

“First thing we did this morning when he skipped out of court, we posted it on our Web page," Schultz said.

They are hoping if he does go into a retail store, he will be recognized and arrested.

Schultz said one of the biggest problems they have is that they can't charge Cabral as a repeat offender because property crimes don't qualify.

When Cabral does get caught, he won't be getting out this time before his sentencing. That's because he'll be held without bond.