Copyright © 2022 Albuquerque Journal
SANTA FE – A contrite Santa Fe burglar, caught in the act Sunday afternoon, apologized to the homeowners and gave them $200 for the window he broke to gain entry before walking off. Jewelry left on a counter was untouched.
The suspect apparently slept in the home, bathed, ate food and drank beer before the owners returned to their Vereda Serena residence and found the man in a back room, according to a Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office report.
A duffel bag and an AR-15 scoped rifle was next to the suspect, but he did not threaten the homeowners. He picked up the items and left, dropping $200 on a living room chair on his way out, saying it was “reimbursement for the window he broke,” the report said.
The owner said “the male was extremely embarrassed and apologetic about the situation,” the report states.
When asked why he was in the home, the man said “his family was killed in east Texas and he was running from somebody.”
The suspect told the owner he was driving, but said his vehicle broke down 100 miles outside of town.
The suspect walked away through a ditch and a thorough search of the area by two deputies failed to locate him.
The report noted that larceny to the homeowner’s property totaled $15. The man is described as being mid- to late-20s, 6 feet tall, and wearing a blue jacket and baggy jeans. The case is under investigation.
Apologetic burglar leaves $200 for broken window
Eats food, drinks beer, takes nothing
