Lovington Police Department (LPD) detectives recently arrested four, male juveniles accused of stealing more than $17,000 in inventory from Lovington Tobacco and Vape. The store is located at 1016 Main Street in Lovington. The burglary took place on July 4, 2021. 

The boys, aged 17, 16, 15 and 12, were charged with “larceny over $2,500 but under $20,000” which is a 3rd Degree Felony and with “burglary of a structure” and “tampering with evidence” both of which are 4th Degree Felonies. 

Charges against three of the four boys have been dropped. According to the LPD, the action was taken because the owner of Lovington Tobacco and Vape could not be contacted for a pre-trial interview. 

Charges against the 17-year-old have not been dropped. He will have a restitution hearing and could be on probation for not more than two years. He may, also, be required to wear an ankle monitor. 

New Mexico 5th Judicial District Attorney Dianna Luce noted that a fifth teenage male is suspected of being involved in the crime, although the juvenile was not arrested due to a lack of evidence.

Names of Juveniles Not Released

Lovington police have not released the names of the arrested youth due to their ages.

Police Chief Daniel Miranda told the Lea County Tribune that his department does not disclose “…the names of juveniles or release much information on juvenile arrests”. 

However, the Lea County Tribune was able to review pursuant to Section 14-2-8(D) of the New Mexico Inspection of Public Records Act the “redacted criminal complaint” about the case. 

What Happened

The owner of Lovington Tobacco and Vape contacted the LPD after the crime occurred. The owner informed department detectives that his premises had been broken into, that thousands of dollars of merchandise had been stolen and that he thought he knew who had committed the crime. 

The owner later told LPD detectives that a juvenile had come into his shop a couple of days after the break-in and showed him a photo of the alleged stolen goods being sold on the open market. The photo was also posted on social media. The juvenile further provided the owner names of the youths who were selling the goods. 

The investigation has been ongoing. Detectives have reviewed video footage provided by the Vape shop and interviewed the suspects. Finally, police were able to gather sufficient evidence to make the attests.