Two suspects remain at large
Joe Carlo Zecca, 87, answered a knock to his door on Nov. 30, expecting a visit from an employee. Instead, Zecca was met with the barrel of a gun, wielded by one of the two men who then robbed and assaulted him in his home on the 1200 block of East Aztec Avenue.
Gallup Police Department Officer Kelsey Francisco arrived at the scene at around 9:10 pm. Francisco saw that Zecca was bleeding, but Zecca said he did not want to receive medical attention, according to the police report.
Zecca is the owner of the infamous American Bar in downtown Gallup.
The gun the suspects used to threaten Zecca was described to police as a 9 mm, semi automatic with a black slide and an orange tip, and was possibly a fake gun.
Zecca described one suspect as being about 5’10” and wearing a dark hoodie, and the other suspect as about 5’9”, and wearing a black beanie hat and a dark jacket. Both suspects remain at large.
The two suspects pushed Zecca into a cedar chest before punching his face and stealing the gold ring off of his finger.
The suspects demanded Zecca give them his guns, which he had locked in a safe. The suspects then demanded money of Zecca, who gave them $900 out of his wallet, according to the police report.
The money Zecca handed to them proved insufficient for the two suspects, who then stole Zecca’s billfold, which contained several credit cards along with Zecca’s ID.
The suspect in the black beanie hat also stole Zecca’s Samsung Galaxy S6 phone.
After the two suspects had gathered the stolen items, Zecca attempted to recover his property, leading one suspect to brutally beat him, throwing Zecca on the ground and attempting to tie Zecca up with Zecca’s own back brace, as described in the police report.
Still, Zecca fought back.
“I tried to get a hold of [the suspect], but I was hit in the face by him and was pushed to the ground in the living room by the couch,” Zecca said of the struggle.
All totaled, the suspects left with about $11,705 worth of property, according to itemized values listed on the police report.
The suspects face charges of aggravated burglary and robbery.
Anyone with information about this case is encouraged to call Crime Stoppers at 1 (877) 722-6161. Your name and phone number will remain confidential, and you could receive an award of up to $1,000 if your tip leads to an arrest.
By Abigail Rowe
Sun Editor
