LAS CRUCES - Residents of the Picacho Hills country club neighborhood west of city limits are making a renewed effort to watch out for one another after they say a woman was attacked in front of her young children.

The alleged robber entered the woman's Mira Montes home from a back door, facing an arroyo, around 5 p.m. Thursday, according to Coronado Ridge resident Stephen Bailey. The intruder allegedly knocked the woman to the ground before fleeing, according to residents, who urged neighbors to be vigilant and report suspicious sights in the neighborhood.

Thursday's invasion came just one week after another break-in in Linda Vista Estates, on Boling Lane, off Barcelona Ridge Road. The afternoon of Dec. 9, residents reported the house was ransacked - possibly by suspects seen earlier in the area, asking for landscaping jobs, traveling in a gray Chevy Cavalier with a Texas license plate.

Do-a Ana Sheriff's investigator Bo Nevarez said Picacho Hills isn't the only area under siege by thieves - Do-a Ana, the East Mesa and communities in the south county have been as well - and the incidents point to a larger trend.

"This is not out of the ordinary," Nevarez said. "We're suffering burglaries all over the county. It's the holiday season and during the holiday season, you're going to see an increase in burglaries due to the fact that people are making more purchases, (and) those purchases are probably more visible - either under the tree or in vehicles."

During the holidays,

Advertisement
about 45 burglaries per month in the county are reported to the sheriff's office, up from a normal average of 25, Nevarez said. In particular, thieves are targeting easy-to-carry, easy-to-fence electronic devices, such as flat-screen TVs, video game consoles, digital cameras and laptop computers

It's not yet clear if the two recent incidents are related, Nevarez said, declining to comment further on the ongoing investigation.

This summer, the Picacho Hills community reported another string of burglaries, occurring just after some reported seeing solicitors knocking on doors, handing out fliers and looking in windows - possibly to assess the goods inside, according to residents.

"We recommend everyone lock their doors and watch out for their neighbors," Nevarez said. "Especially this time of year."

Ashley Meeks can be reached at (575) 541-5462

Just in case

• Document your valuables - jewelry, firearms, tools and electronics - in case they are stolen.

• Keep dated receipts identifying the item and written records of manufacturers' serial numbers.

• Take photos or video of possessions, making sure to record serial numbers, and store that documentation in a secure place with receipts

• Ask your insurance company for a property inventory booklet to assist you

• Metallic items with no visible security number - grills, tools and construction equipment - can be engraved or stamped with a name or ID number

• Items made of plastic can be engraved with an X-Acto knife or marked with a permanent marker in an inconspicuous area to avoid removal or alteration

• Keep a complete record of your valuables in more than one location, in case of fire or other calamity

Source: Las Cruces Police Department