Two arrested after alleged monthslong burglary spree across Albuquerque

An Albuquerque man and woman are accused of causing over $100,000 in damages while burglarizing several businesses over the past couple of months.

Brian Chavez, 30, and Stephanie Hillard, 37, are each charged with multiple counts of non-residential burglary, criminal damage over $1,000, possession of burglary tools and larceny.

Chavez and Hillard are being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center. It is unclear who their attorneys are.

According to court records, a detention hearing for Chavez is slated for Wednesday. Hillard has a status conference scheduled for October.

Court records state that Chavez pleaded guilty to attempted non-residential burglary in April 2023 after trying to break into a storage unit.

According to a criminal complaint filed at Metropolitan Court, police were able to identify Chavez and Hillard as suspects in the most recent string of burglaries through video surveillance and photos.

Police said from June 11 to Aug. 27, Chavez orchestrated a series of “calculated burglaries” targeting multiple businesses and using tools like blowtorches and cables in “unconventional ways ... demonstrating a deliberate and premeditated pattern of criminal behavior.”

The complaint states that during several incidents, Hillard and Chavez were seen on surveillance using an SUV and two sedans to carry out the crimes.

Police said David Kocon, owner of Twice the Ice, which offers ice and water through vending machines, told them in July that the suspects attached a cable to water refill machines’ change mechanisms and drove away, “effectively ripping out the entire mechanism to access the money inside.” Damages in that incident were about $75,000.

According to the complaint, on Aug. 11 Chavez was caught on video using a blowtorch and crowbar to break into coin machines and stealing several hundred dollars at Tiny Bubbles Car Wash. Hillard was seen acting as a lookout during the incident, the complaint says.

Police said the suspects had tried breaking into a coin machine at the Tiny Bubbles Car Wash in January 2023.

In other incidents, according to the complaint, Hillard acted as a lookout, drove the getaway vehicle or repositioned the vehicle “to facilitate Brian’s access to the targeted machines.”

“(Chavez) is a prolific burglar,” a pretrial motion states. “He has demonstrated he will not stop until he has depleted business owners of their livelihoods.”