On June 25, 2012 Las Cruces Police arrested four juveniles who allegedly attempted to rob an elderly woman of her purse in the parking lot of Wal-Mart located at 571 Walton. The elderly woman was thrown to the ground and the four juveniles allegedly tried to wrench the woman’s purse from her. The juveniles were unsuccessful and fled the scene in a vehicle. The elderly female sustained non life threatening injuries and was transported to a local hospital. Las Cruces Police were able to quickly arrive on scene and interview witnesses and review security camera footage.
Officers were able to obtain a vehicle description and license plate from the video and find the suspect vehicle in a nearby neighborhood. Officers arrested and charged Anthony Malone, 17, Richard Swanson, 17, Joel Montoya, 14 and Jacob Dearo, 17, with robbery and conspiracy charges. All four juveniles were detained at theDona Ana County Detention Center.