By KRWG News
Las Cruces – One suspect in this spring's theft of more than $50,000 of steel rebar from a Las Cruces industrial supply business has been arrested in El Paso.
43-year-old Oscar Reza, who also goes by names Oscar Gomez and Oscar Silva of the 1600 block of Daniels in El Paso, was arrested by El Paso County Sheriff's investigators for his involvement in unrelated, but similar, offenses in that city.
In Las Cruces, Reza is charged with 14 counts of fraud by worthless check. All charges are fourth-degree felonies.
In September, Las Cruces Crime Stoppers issued an alert on three men who passed more than $50,000 in fraudulent checks used to purchase steel rebar from Craigentaggert Industrial Supplies at 1100 west Amador Ave. Detectives learned that the purchases were made at Craigentaggert in Las Cruces, but the rebar was actually picked up by the suspects from a supplier in El Paso.
Shortly after the alert was released, an El Paso County Sheriff's Office detective recognized the circumstances, and descriptions of the suspects, as similar to cases his office was investigating.
Las Cruces Police and El Paso Sheriff's investigators collaborated and ultimately identified Reza as one of the suspects in committing similar crimes in both cities. Reza was taken into custody by El Paso County Sheriff's investigators and is charged there with seven warrants with a bond of $40,000. An arrest warrant was signed in Las Cruces charging Reza with the 14 counts of fraud.
Reza's bond in Las Cruces was set at $100,000 cash.