Placitas Volunteer Fire Brigade Chief Bud Brinkerhoff (center) presents awards during the PVFB’s annual Awards Banquet held in March to Brigade members who have excelled in their contribution to the community. He presented the Chief’s Award for Fire to Sal Gullo (left) and the Chief’s Award for EMT to Sandy Escarcida (right).

Burglars strike Placitas

—SIGNPOST STAFF

During April, several daytime burglaries were committed in Placitas—at Vista Montaña, Overlook, Cedar Creek, and Anasazi Trails subdivisions. Typically, around 10:00 to 10:30 a.m., the burglars ring the doorbell to determine if anyone is home. If no one comes to the door, they throw a rock through the window. They are stealing guns, jewelry, and laptop computers.

In Overlook, when the burglar rang the doorbell, the female resident did not get to the door fast enough, so they thought no one was home and threw a rock through the window. The woman screamed and the thief escaped.

One of the houses in Anasazi Trails had their alarm going off. When a neighbor went outside to check if there was a problem, the thieves were already running down the driveway with guns and jewelry.

At about noon on April 10, a neighbor on Dusty Trail spotted someone going around knocking on doors and windows and called 911. Deputies arrived and two men ran on foot toward Homestead Village Shopping Center, leaving their parked red pickup (a vehicle reported in other incidents) behind.

The Albuquerque Journal reported that two 17-year-old males were arrested on burglary charges by Sandoval County Sheriff's Office. A Toyota pick-up truck belonging to one of the suspects was impounded. The suspects were booked into the Bernalillo County Juvenile Detention Center.

As of this press time, the Signpost has not received any further information from the Sheriff’s Office about the arrest or ongoing efforts to combat burglaries, but according to e-mails circulating in the community, burglars are still working the Placitas area. Increased police activity has been apparent. The Sheriff’s Office is initiating neighborhood watch programs in most subdivisions.

According to the e-mails, a vehicle suspected to be involved in the burglaries is a late Seventies model Ford pickup truck, light blue with lots of dents, and a ladder rack on the back. Deputies reportedly came to Cedar Creek and said they were on the lookout for a white construction truck that is believed to be involved. Another time they were looking for a dark-colored SUV. The burglars are believed to be dropped off wearing backpacks to carry whatever they have stolen.

The Sandoval County Sheriff’s Office told La Mesa residents to keep their doors locked and their garage doors closed during the day and even when working in the yard. Remember, these burglaries are occurring quickly and in broad daylight.

The Sandoval County Sheriff's Department can be contacted at a non-emergency number at 867-7526 or at the dispatch center at 891-7226. In case of an emergency, call 911.

Fire restrictions increase

Beginning on April 28, the Mountainair and Sandia Ranger Districts of the Cibola National Forest will be under increased fire restrictions.

The following restrictions apply until further notice:

• Building, maintaining, attending, or using a fire, campfire, charcoal broiler, coal or wood stove are prohibited. Pressurized liquid or gas stoves, lanterns, and heaters meeting safety specifications are allowed.

• All personal-use firewood cutting will not be allowed until further notice. Extensions will be granted to individuals with existing personal-use permits. Personal-use firewood cutting will recommence when weather conditions permit.

• All vehicles must remain on forest roads.

• Smoking is prohibited, except within an enclosed vehicle or building.

For further information, call Mark Chavez, Cibola National Forest Supervisor’s Office, at (505) 346-3900.