Alert NM security agent aids police arrest in burlary arrest www.privateofficer.com
Now ADPS detectives need the victims to come forward and identify their stolen property recovered by the department.
Detective Mark Esquero said Matthew W. Peil has been charged with 18 counts of fourth degree breaking and entering, four counts of commercial burglary, two counts of receiving, retaining or disposing of stolen property over $500 and one count of possession of burglary tools. He is being held on $125,000 no-ten percent bond.
Esquero said the Alamo Security guard was doing his rounds at The Storage Center, 2219 Lawrence Blvd., around 3:12 a.m. and saw Peil in front of storage unit No. 109 and thought it was odd.
“Peil was wearing a head band with a light on it,” he said. “It’s common for a night time burglar to wear or have some kind of light with them to see what they’re doing. The security guard approached Peil and asked what Peil was doing.”
Esquero said Peil told the guard that the unit belonged to him.
“The guard attempted to verify Peil’s claim that he was a renter of the unit,” he said. “When the security guard called ADPS officers then Peil ran in the direction of the Satellite Inn. The security guard was able to inform ADPS officers of the direction in which Peil ran.”
Esquero said officers were able to retrace Peil’s steps to Lawrence Boulevard and 23rd Street then to an alle way and found a set of keys in the middle of one of the streets then found a backpack and cellular telephone in the alleyway.
“The investigation revealed that Peil was using the unrented storage unit to store stolen items from other units within the Alamogordo area,” he said. “The abandoned backpack and cellular telephone led officers and detectives to the Satellite Inn where Peil was renting a room but Peil was not at the motel at that time. Detective conducted surveillance on the motel and observed Peil entering one of the rooms around 9 a.m. on Feb. 18.”
Esquero said during their investigation detectives and officers learned that Peil had an outstanding Otero County Magistrate Court arrest warrant for alleged failure to pay fines or court cost.
“We arrested Peil on the warrant,” he said. “While arresting Peil officers and detectives observed several items inside the motel room similar to the items being stored in the unrented storage unit. They obtained a search warrant for the motel room then executed the warrant on the room and found items similar to the items being stored in the unit. We found several items in the room and storage unit which included furniture, clothing, electronics and various other stolen items within the Alamogordo area.”
Esquero said officers have filed reports of burglary from victims over the last two months.
“Peil was allegedly breaking into storage units then putting the stolen items in the one storage unit,” he said. “Peil was allegedly stealing one or two items for the other storage units and not everything in the unit. Renters reporting break ins to their units because they found their locks broken. We’re asking those victims to return to ADPS and try to identify their stolen property. Some of the victims may or may not know their property was taken.”
Esquero said victims of residential and automobile burglaries need to visit with detectives to possibly identify their property as well.
“We’re not sure what other possible burglaries Peil was allegedly committing during the two month period,” he said. “Peil did admit to detectives and officers that he had broken into storage units in the past. Peil is minimizing any other break ins at other locations. There’s some large items in the storage unit that would take more then one person to move into the unit. We believe he may have had an accomplice.”
Esquero said he is suggesting renter of storage units use anti-theft locks to secure their units.
“Renters were using a cheaper in cost brand lock,” he said. “They need to spend the money for a more secure lock or anti-theft lock.”
Anyone with information about the burglaries or have been a victim of the burglaries can contact the ADPS Detective Division at 439-4300 or Crime Stoppers at 437-2000.
