Los Lunas

After a short foot pursuit by sheriff’s deputies Thursday afternoon, a Los Lunas man was arrested on charges of stealing coins from the vending machines in the lobby of the Valencia County Courthouse.

Robert B. Jaramillo, 40, has been charged with three misdemeanor counts, including larceny, cheating a machine or device and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Valencia County Sheriff’s Detective Ventura Salas said he was in the office when a county employee came in and told him he had seen a man taking money from the machines.

“He (the employee) told me which direction he had left and gave me a description of the suspect,” Salas said. “I ran out of the courthouse and saw him running.”

According to the criminal complaint, Salas ran out of the north end of the building into the parking lot, where he saw Jaramillo run across the street. Jaramillo was reportedly running to the back of the district attorney’s office, where Salas and other sheriff’s deputies confronted him.

“I advised him that I was a detective from the sheriff’s department and gave him commands to stop and put his hands where I could see them,” Salas said.

When confronted by the deputies, Jaramillo tried to run west in back of the district attorney’s office. Salas caught up to the suspect and tackled him to the ground.

Salas said, after the suspect was taken into custody, he found $32.50 worth of quarters and one dime in Jaramillo’s pockets. Salas also said he found a Zero candy bar in the suspect’s pockets.

The detective said he believes someone used a piece of wire to retrieve the money from the vending machines. Salas also said, after talking to the owner of the vending machines, he learned someone has been taking money from the vending machines for the past three years.

Jaramillo was also arrested on an outstanding warrant for failing to appear at the probation and parole office.

What’s your Reaction?
+1
0
+1
0
+1
0
+1
0
+1
0
+1
0
Clara Garcia | News-Bulletin Editor

Clara Garcia is the editor and publisher of the Valencia County News-Bulletin.
She is a native of the city of Belen, beginning her journalism career at the News-Bulletin in 1998 as the crime and courts reporter. During her time at the paper, Clara has won numerous awards for her writing, photography and typography and design both from the National Newspaper Association and the New Mexico Press Association.