Isaiah Xavier Lopez, age 18, of Hobbs, has been apprehended “without incident” for his involvement in the May 8 shoplifting of firearm ammunition from Big 5 Sporting Goods. With the assistance of the Lea County Sheriff’s Office, Hobbs Police Department (HPD) officers arrested Lopez hours after the shoplifting took place.
Big 5 Sporting Goods is located at 1814 North Turner Street in Hobbs.
According to a HPD press release, officers learned that “…a male subject came into the store, grabbed a black bag, and stepped over the firearm counter. He then proceeded to put multiple boxes of firearm ammunition into the bag. He then dropped the black bag on the glass countertop.”
Next, the suspect climbed over the glass countertop, picked up the black bag and fled the store. As he was fleeing Big 5 staff became aware of what was happening. A surveillance video confirming the HPD’s report of the incident is streaming on Facebook. The HPD press release states that the suspect “…ran out of the store with another male through the front entrance.”
At 411 Hobbs NM Neighborhood Watch area resident John Pruitt states about the shoplifting, “I just want to know where the employees are at and how come none of those guns and ammo is locked up. In other stores they are. Big 5 has been hit several times because everything is at the front door.” Kelly Ann Johnson agrees. She says that what happened is “ridiculous”. “Someone should be at that counter the whole time the store is open.”
The press release states that “over $1,900 worth of ammunition” was shoplifted.
HPD investigators immediately initiated an investigation about the incident and soon identified Lopez as the “male who took the ammunition”. A warrant was issued for his arrest, charging him with the Fourth Degree Felony – Shoplifting ($500 – $2,500). According to a NewsWest9 report, Lopez has “a past criminal history as a juvenile”.
Ammo Theft and Gun Violence Issues of Great Public Concern
The stealing of ammunition caused much public concern, especially with the ongoing threat of gun violence in schools and at public establishments. Many area stakeholders are voicing their opinions about the Big 5 shoplifting incident on the HPD Facebook page. Some fear that Lopez ‘s arrest will simply be a “catch and release” situation. Others like Wince White feel that the seriousness of the matter will keep Lopez behind bars. White states, “This won’t be catch and release. Hopefully the ATF [Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives] has been notified and he [Lopez] is charged at the federal level. It’s a serious felony charge to rob a Federal Firearms license holder.”
As a backdrop to the firearm ammunition shoplifting incident in Hobbs, a recent post on the social media platform Snapchat – regarding the potential of “shootings and bombings” to have been “carried out on Wednesday, May 10 at unspecified schools in unspecified cities” is bringing added attention to the possibility of gun violence in schools and other public establishments. Texas has recently had a spree of shootings, and with the school year coming to an end, parents are understandably nervous.
Earlier this week the police department of Roswell notified the public on its Facebook page that an 18-year-old, Florida woman has been arrested for “circulating the original [Snapchat] message”, now proved to be bogus. The RPD reasoned that it notified the public about the woman’s arrest because her Snapchat reached “local [Roswell] Snapchat users”. Jazmin Alarcon comments on the RPD Facebook page that the “same thing happened in Clovis, like the same post was shared on the Curry County page.” HPD was concerned enough about the chatter created by the Florida woman’s untrue Snapchat threat that it has shared the RPD’s posting of her arrest on its own Facebook page.
As of this writing HPD detectives have not yet identified the other male involved in the Big 5 firearm ammunition shoplifting incident. HPD also did not disclose whether the stolen ammo was retrieved. To assist with HPD’s ongoing investigation of the case, anyone with information is asked to contact the HPD at 575-397-9265 or the Lea County Crime Stoppers at 575-393-8005. Those providing information may be eligible for a cash reward.
As an alternative individuals may message the HPD privately on Facebook. The HPD reminds the public that their Facebook page “is not monitored in real time and is not a good avenue to report real-time crime.”
