County sees sharp rise in burglary

VALENCIA COUNTY, N.M. (KRQE) - Burglars and thieves have been working overtime in Valencia County, as the area has seen a sharp increase in thefts.

Deputies are receiving an average of 25 burglary calls a day, ranging from home burglaries, to car burglaries, to auto thefts.

Valencia County deputies said they’re stretched thin because of the sheer size of the county combined with the spike in burglaries.

“We are getting hit really hard as far as our lack of man power. We're working on trying to get more individuals hired, but we need the community's assistance,” Deputy Chris Trujillo said. ”Without them, there's no way we can solve these burglaries or get a handle as to who is conducting these burglaries.”

Some of the areas hit the hardest are Cypress Gardens near the Manzano Expressway and El Cerro Mission and Rio Communities.

The sheriff’s department said they don't believe the burglaries are all the work of one individual or group.

Because Valencia County is so large, it can be hard for deputies to get from one area in the county to another because there are usually only four to five deputies on a given shift.

Jonathan Sanchez, a Cypress Gardens resident, said he has seen strange cars outside his home several times and even had a bizarre encounter once with a passerby.

“He saw me outside cleaning my car and he asked me for water and started talking to me and told me he used to break into this house and have parties with his friends, whenever it was vacant,” Sanchez said.

The sheriff’s department has detectives working the hardest hit areas around the clock, doing surveillance in plain clothes to catch the crooks.

If you see anything suspicious going on in any Valencia County neighborhood, call the sheriff’s department.