By MAIRE O’NEILLTwo men and a woman were arrested Aug. 27 in yet another shoplifting incident at Smith’s Marketplace. Robert W. Abeyta, 32, of Ohkay Owingeh, Meadows Tafoya-Romero, 24, of Espanola, and Juanadolfo Gomez, 29, of San Juan Pueblo, all appeared before Los Alamos Magistrate Judge Pat Casados Aug. 28 and are slated for hearings Sept. 22.
Los Alamos Police Sgt. Monica Salazar-Casias and Cpl. David Boe responded to a call from Smith’s loss prevention personnel who were tracking the group at the store and believed they were the same group that had taken items at the store just days earlier but weren’t apprehended.
Tafoya-Romero exited the store with a grocery cart loaded with items she hadn’t paid for which were later valued at $807.29. Loss prevention personnel also gave police a receipt for items allegedly taken Aug. 22 by Tafoya-Romero.
Following her arrest, Tafoya-Romero was transported to Los Alamos Medical Center for a medical issue, it was determined that she had given officers her sister’s name and that she had an active warrant in Rio Arriba County. She was served a copy of that warrant and charged with concealing her identity as well as shoplifting of more than $250 but less than $2,500.
Abeyta was arrested and charged with shoplifting for attempting to leave the store with $565.15 in goods. Gomez was charged with shoplifting $7.50 in items he allegedly attempted to conceal in his pockets before a store employee saw him.
The statement of probable cause filed by Sgt. Salazar-Casias indicates that another individual who was present with the group told her the other three had not said they were going to shoplift but had told him that they were heading to Los Alamos “to make some money”.