Police seek locker-room burglar

RIO RANCHO, N.M. (KRQE) - A locker room looter is hitting fitness clubs around Albuquerque and Rio Rancho, and surveillance video shows her living it up with other peoples' money.

In one heist, the woman had snuck into a Defined Fitness in Rio Rancho without a membership and ransacked lockers in the women's changing room. Several members said they saw her looking through lockers, but thought she must have simply forgotten which locker was hers.

She stole keys to a Chevrolet Suburban, took the SUV and the two purses inside.

A short time later, she was caught on a surveillance camera at a Target store using a stolen credit card.

According to Rio Rancho Police Department spokesperson John Francis, she tried to obtain credit at other retail stores in the Albuquerque area.

The SUV was found a few days later in Albuquerque, but the purses were gone.

Damon Bader, the operations manager for the gym, said the business is run as a family environment.

"Everybody is so comfortable we tend to let our guard down," he said.

Longtime gym member Beverly Aranda said she didn't know about the crimes, but said she has been too trusting of others.

"I have been leaving my stuff in the locker without a lock," she said. "I don't think of it at all."

Now, the gym is taking extra steps to protect members.

"We are loaning locks. We have locks for sale," Bader said. "We will do whatever we can."

Albuquerque police are still working to catch the woman, who they said has hit gyms around that city as well.