Skylar B. Smith. Courtesy/LAPD

Detectives from the Los Alamos Police Department’s Investigations Division, working in conjunction with the Albuquerque Police Department’s Auto Theft Division, have apprehended a man suspected in the recent rash of auto burglaries in Los Alamos.

Skylar B. Smith, 20, of Rio Rancho, who previously lived in Los Alamos, was arrested Monday, Dec. 1 on a Los Alamos warrant for auto burglary and theft of credit cards. 

Coady Richards. Courtesy/LAPD

Smith’s arrest comes after a lengthy investigation in which Los Alamos detectives served a search warrant Nov. 26 on a house in Placitas, working with the Sandoval County Sheriff’s Office. 

During the execution of that search warrant, Sandoval County Sheriff’s Department arrested Coady Richards, 32, of Placitas on the following charges; two counts of receiving stolen property and one count of possession of marijuana.

It was after the execution of that warrant that information was obtained, which led to the arrest of Smith, Los Alamos Det. Sgt. Oliver Morris said this morning. 

The auto burglaries mostly occurred Nov. 14, Nov. 15 and Nov. 23 – the day after Thanksgiving, Morris said.

“The Los Alamos Police Department made this string of recent automotive burglaries a top priority,” Morris said in a statement. “I am very proud of the hard work the detectives put into this case during the past few weeks even working around the holiday. I also hope this sends a message that if criminals target Los Alamos – we will spare no resource to apprehend them.”