Alleged burglar caught after being spotted with stolen driving school car on West Side

A man is behind bars for allegedly breaking into a driving school in Northwest Albuquerque and stealing, among other things, the car used to teach students how to drive.

Roman Baca, 31, is charged with burglary, auto theft and possession of a controlled substance. He’s being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center, and his attorney could not be reached for comment.

Baca is also facing a burglary charge in another case in which he is accused of stealing $1,000 in merchandise and $300 in cash from Pack Your Maxx on Oct. 14, court records state.

Prosecutors filed a motion to detain Baca until trial, saying, “He is clearly dangerous to the business community and should be held for trial.”

At about 2:45 a.m. Monday, officers responded to a commercial burglary at the Old School of Driving in the 4100 block of Coors NW, according to a criminal complaint filed in Metropolitan Court.

In security footage, Baca could be seen breaking into the driving school and taking laptops and other electronics, police said. Baca allegedly fled with the stolen goods in one of the driving school vehicles — its decals still attached to the sides.

On Tuesday, police responded to a report of a suspicious person running around a car in the 5000 block of Sooner NW, near Taylor Ranch. Arriving officers found Baca near the stolen driving-school vehicle, according to the complaint. They also found the items stolen from the driving school inside a black bag he was carrying.

While at a hospital after his arrest, Baca told police the electronics belonged to the driving school and the only reason he needed the car was because “his ankles hurt,” the complaint said.