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Thursday, Mar 28th

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Suspect in parking lot vehicle burglary caught

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Last week, the Sun reported on a vehicle burglary that occured in the Cracker Barrel parking lot on April 5.

Surveillance footage showed a man possibly in his 30s breaking the window of a 2014 red Ford Escape, taking something from inside, and then getting into another vehicle that drove off.

A number of items were taken, including several antique firearms and a purse belonging to Artie Ortega, of Rio Rancho, that contained the ashes of her son, Anthony J. Romero. Ortega and her boss were in Gallup for the gun show when they had stopped at Cracker Barrel and their car, which belonged to her boss, was broken into.

Then on April 10, Justin Villa, 36, of Gallup, was arrested by Gallup Police on two counts of aggravated burglary, which stemmed from the parking lot burglary.

According to a release by Capt. Marinda Spencer, Villa was the victim of a gunshot wound to his foot on April 10. He was transported to the hospital, and after he was released he was arrested by Officer Justin Foster and booked into the McKinley County Adult Detention Center.

No other information was available as of press time, including whether the stolen items were recovered.

By Cody Begaye
Sun Correspondent