By KRWG News
Las Cruces – Las Cruces Police have arrested a couple believed to be responsible for a number of thefts over the past three months from vehicles parked at area home improvement stores.
Guadalupe Atwell, 26, of the 5300 block of Sunny Acres Drive, and Cindie Pauline Carter-Mitchell, 43, of the 2300 block of Saturn Drive, were arrested Wednesday after an intensive investigation by LCPD detectives and officers from patrol, the Targeting Neighborhood Threats unit and the street crimes unit.
Atwell and Carter-Mitchell are each charged with one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm, one count of possession of a firearm in the commission of a larceny, six counts of auto burglary and one count of conspiracy.
Investigators learned that Atwell and Carter-Mitchell would scout parking lots of area home improvement stores and target pickup trucks that had items of value unsecured in their beds. Carter-Mitchell would park her white Jeep Grand Cherokee near the targeted pickups and Atwell would steal the items.
Atwell and Carter-Mitchell would then pawn or sell the stolen items to purchase narcotics.
Las Cruces Police are continuing their investigation and are working with area pawn shops with the hopes of retrieving the stolen property.
Atwell and Carter-Mitchell are both being held at the Dona Ana County Detention Center with bond set at $45,000 each.