The man arrested in March suspected of using personal information from a stolen wallet to steal nearly $6,000 from someone’s bank account has now been charged for his involvement in three additional crimes including stealing close to $15,000 worth of property – including an estimated 20,000 rounds of ammunition – from his mother’s home.
Cody L. Payton, 20, is now charged with two counts of residential burglary, two counts of larceny and one count each of unlawful taking of a motor vehicle, attempted forgery and conspiracy.
In March, Payton was charged with 18 counts of unauthorized use or theft of a bank card, two counts of forgery and one count of identity theft. Payton is suspected of obtaining a debit card under false pretenses and using it to make $5,700 worth of purchases and withdrawals against the victim’s bank account.
Las Cruces Police detectives now believe Payton and two friends broke into his mother’s home while she was out of town sometime before April 17. During a multi-day burglary spree the trio is alleged to have stolen a large amount of electronics, at least two televisions, several hand and power tools, hunting and camping equipment, three BB and pellet guns, and an estimated 20,000 rounds of ammunition ranging from .22 caliber to 12 gauge shotgun shells. They are also suspected of stealing a spittoon that held an estimated $500 worth in coins.
Altogether, the items Payton is suspected of stealing from his mother’s home are valued at $14,920. The identity of the other two suspects is unknown at this time.
Payton is also charged with breaking into and stealing from the residence of a couple who allowed him to reside there. Payton is suspected of stealing an HP Pavilion laptop computer and a Galaxy tablet from the couple’s home.
And Payton is suspected of stealing a 1995 Nissan Maxima on the morning of Feb. 23, 2015. In that case, Payton is alleged to have taken the vehicle after the owner temporarily left it to warm up on the cold morning. A couple hours later, Payton is suspected of trying to cash the victim’s check using a stolen identification card.
Payton also faces unrelated charged in Otero County. Payton is now being held at the Dona Ana County Detention Center with a cash-only bond set at $300,000.
Information from Las Cruces Police