Three accused of stealing $200K worth of adaptive wheelchairs from Albuquerque nonprofit

Three people were arrested months after allegedly stealing a local nonprofit’s trailer with $200,000 worth of equipment inside, including multiple wheelchairs used for basketball.

Without the equipment, the Carrie Tingley Hospital Foundation had to shut down its basketball program for children who use wheelchairs.

On Nov. 14, James Lucero, 39, and Abel Baca, 37, were charged with larceny over $20,000, receiving stolen property, tampering with evidence and lesser charges. Jessica Chavez, 35, faces similar charges.

All three were booked into the Metropolitan Detention Center but have since been released. None of their attorneys could be reached Friday.

Police identified all three as suspects within days of the theft, after they tried to sell the wheelchairs to a metal recycling center. It took months for charges to be filed, however, as officers waited to obtain cellphone data linking the suspects to the theft.

The trailer belonged to the Carrie Tingley Hospital Foundation, a nonprofit that provides assistance to children with physical disabilities. Inside, there were 17 adaptive wheelchairs, 20 basketballs, two adaptive basketball hoops and several other items.

“The equipment was related to some of the adaptive programming we do here at the Foundation, specifically to wheelchair basketball,” said Liliana Prado-Bujanda, director of the Carrie Tingley Hospital Foundation.

The foundation was able to replace some, but not all, of the adaptive wheelchairs with insurance money.

“It’s devastating to all of us and to our families who are impacted because of situations like this,” Prado-Bujanda said.

She said the wheelchair basketball program had to be paused until August due to the theft. About 20 children were in the program prior to the theft and the foundation is able to serve about 15 children currently.

She said the children in the foundation were devastated to learn the program had been paused, as many of them are not able to attend school and look forward to the program to interact with other children.

“It was great to see the support pour through for the foundation for the kids, in regards to people being outraged and saying, ‘How could anyone steal from a foundation, especially adaptive wheelchairs for sports?’” Prado-Bujanda said.

The theft

On March 16, police were dispatched to the 1200 block of Bellamah after the trailer was stolen with the specialized equipment inside, according to a criminal complaint filed in Metropolitan Court.

Officers reviewed video footage that showed two men — later identified as Lucero and Baca — using bolt cutters to break the chain lock on the gate and hook up the trailer to their vehicle, the complaint states.

Two days later, police were contacted by Albuquerque Metals and Recycling, which reported that a woman — later identified as Chavez — was attempting to sell 10 adaptive wheelchairs worth $60,000 days after the theft, according to the complaint. Two men, identified as Lucero and Baca, were with Chavez at the time.

“Shortly after, (Chavez) and the two men left the location in a hurry without completing the transaction,” the complaint states. “In her haste, (Chavez) left her New Mexico driver’s license behind.”

Police recovered the frames of the wheelchairs from the scrapyard, Prado-Bujanda said. She said the suspects had broken down the wheelchairs and the frames were all that remained, making them unrepairable.

On March 18, police were dispatched to the 8000 block of Plymouth Rock, east of Wyoming near Barstow, after a man reported that he recently purchased a trailer he believed was the same as the stolen trailer after he saw an online post about the theft, according to the complaint. The trailer had been sold to the man on Craigslist for $2,500.

When the man learned the trailer had been reported stolen, he asked the Craigslist seller, Baca, for a refund, the complaint states. Baca stopped responding when the man said he learned the trailer had been reported stolen. The trailer was recovered by police.

Police obtained cellphone data that showed Chavez and Baca’s phones in the area at the time of the theft, the complaint states.

Prado-Bujanda said the nonprofit was severely impacted by the theft and that many depend on the services and resources provided by the foundation.