Socorro Man Arrested On Burglary Charges

By John Larson

SOCORRO - A Socorro man caught by city police Sunday in possession of stolen laptops, books, and money was arraigned before Magistrate Judge Jim Naranjo Tuesday.
Anthony Padilla, 37, was charged with two felonies and one misdemeanor in connection with a burglary at the CPA firm Penner & Associates on Fifth Street.
A police report filed by Officer Gilbert Gonzales said Padilla was seen carrying two black bags and a tan metal box across California Street toward Baca Street. Gonzales stated in the report that he had prior knowledge that Padilla was wanted for questioning on a burglary that had occurred the weekend before. Padilla said the black cases held his laptop and legal papers, and the tan metal box held his medication.
In the course of Gonzales’s investigation, a witness in the area told him that he recognized Padilla as a man who was seen peering under a tarp on a red pickup truck. He said he had seen Padilla removing two gray plastic containers.
The witness said he also saw Padilla in the passenger side of the pickup in the toolbox.
The owner of the red pickup truck confirmed to Gonzales that he had not given Padilla permission to go through his property in the back of his truck.
The victim also said he was missing two large plastic crates of books from the bed of the truck, one which contained 39 hardback books valued at about $50 each. He said there were about 40 VHS tapes on the passenger’s side of the bed, that were now missing, as well as an RCA camcorder and VCR.
The items were connected to a break-in at the CPA firm Penner & Associates, where a tan metal box containing petty cash was also missing.
Evidence collected included two laptops in black bags marked “Penner & Associates,” a tan metal cash box, and photographs of shoes on an outside door that showed signs of damage.
Padilla was incarcerated at the Socorro County Detention Center. Bond was set at $55,000, cash or surety.

Socorro Man Arrested On Burglary Charges