Saturday, June 24, 2006

Warrant issued in recent burglaries

Audry Olmsted El Defensor Chieftain Reporter, aolmsted@dchieftain.com

A preliminary hearing has been set for one Socorro woman and a warrant has been issued for another woman in connection with several burglaries and a home invasion that occurred earlier this week.

Yolanda Ramirez, 28, will appear before Magistrate Jim Naranjo July 6. She is charged with two counts of burglary, two counts of larceny, two counts of conspiracy and criminal trespassing.

A warrant has been issued for Geneva Escarsega, 21, of Socorro, who police say they believe was involved with the burglaries.

Ramirez was arraigned Thursday in Magistrate Court, where Naranjo set her bond at $61,000 cash or surety.

Socorro police officers Richard Lopez and Rebecca Gonzales first responded Monday to a report of a burglary at a residence on McCutcheon Avenue.

There, the homeowner reported that a television, several movies and a set of keys were missing, said Detective Kenneth Greenwood.

According to the criminal complaint, the owner found his bathroom window pried open.

Lopez said fingerprint evidence was taken at the scene.

"We got information from neighbors that a girl fitting her description had been in the area and asking money of people," Lopez said.

The officer said they learned that the night before, a woman had entered a home on Eaton Avenue and startled the couple sleeping inside. The woman reported to police that the person in her home asked if she could ask the house's resident a question and then left when she was told to leave.

The description given matched that of Ramirez.

Tuesday, officers were summoned to a residence on Church Street and met with a man who said he returned home the day before to find his kitchen window open. He found several game systems and games were missing.

The man told officers that Ramirez came to his home twice over the weekend, asking for money.

Lopez said with all the information they had gathered, he and Rebecca Gonzales went to Ramirez' home and confronted her on the burglaries.

Ramirez, he said, admitted to the burglaries on McCutcheon and Church and the home invasion on Eaton.

Lopez said Ramirez told police she had traded the items for five rocks of cocaine from Andrew Silva, 16, of Socorro.

Along with a juvenile probation officer, Lopez and Officer Antonio Gonzales went to Silva's home, where Silva showed officers the stolen goods.

Lopez said all of the stolen items had been recovered.

Silva was found with 52 rocks of rock cocaine with a total value between $1,000 and $1,500. He is facing charges of drug trafficking and receiving stolen property.

Lopez said officers are still investigating other burglaries that have recently occurred on Eaton and Center and Ramirez' charges may be amended.

He said Escarsega is also facing several burglary, larceny and conspiracy charges.

If convicted, Ramirez could spend as many as 13 years in prison and/or pay a $31,000 fine.

E-mail this story Printer-friendly version