Police Investigation

A series of early morning burglaries have got the Village of Cloudcroft Police on the trail

The newly-appointed Village of Cloudcroft Chief of Police Mike Testa confirmed to the Cloudcroft Reader that the local police department is investigating a series of burglaries in Cloudcroft that occurred around 3:00 AM Wednesday, February 28th.

One victim of burglary was the local restaurant Brother-in-Law BBQ, located at 209 James Canyon Highway. Vandals stole tools (a rigid impact drill, batteries, a charger, and an SDS hammer drill) and a bike from the restaurant’s storage shed. The thieves later dumped the bike on Grand behind Zenith Park, where it was recovered.  Brother-in-Law BBQ has shared a video from their Blink camera system of what appears to be three young adults in the backyard between 3:34 and 3:38 a.m.

Village of Cloudcroft Trustee Tabitha Foster posted images captured from the video on her Facebook page

Other burglaries occurred in the nearby residential areas of Cloudcroft Wednesday night. One woman on Panther Avenue reports that her vehicle was broken into, where two handguns, an expensive hiking backpack, handmade knives, and cash were stolen.

Testa confirms that yet a third burglary occurred Wednesday night, where a gun was stolen from a car. A fourth incident is also being investigated. Testa reminds everyone to “Lock your doors, and don’t keep your guns in your cars.”

If you have further information regarding this incident, please call Village Chief of Police Mike Testa’s work cell phone at (575) 520-2100 or the Otero County Sheriff’s Department Dispatch at (575) 437-2210.

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