COLORADO COMPUTER THIEVES ARRRESTED The Pueblo Chieftain Online :: CRIME BEAT

Authorities arrest 4 burglary suspects

By NICK BONHAM
THE PUEBLO CHIEFTAIN

Three 19-year-olds and a juvenile were arrested in connection to two unrelated burglaries Thursday and Friday.

Edgar Omar Nunez and the juvenile were arrested about 12:45 a.m. Friday for reportedly breaking into at least three Pueblo West businesses.

Sean Matthew Askew and Julian Michael Martinez were arrested about 2:30 p.m. Thursday for reportedly breaking into a home in the 2700 block of Cheyenne Avenue.

Nunez and the boy reportedly smashed the front windows of businesses near 44 E. Spaulding Ave., and stole several computer monitors. According to an arrest affidavit written by sheriff's deputy Rick Rhodes, officers were sent to the businesses to investigate a burglar alarm.

While searching the area, Rhodes said he heard voices coming from a nearby field. Two suspects, later identified as Nunez and the juvenile, ran from a concrete culvert where some stolen computers were recovered.

Nunez surrendered after a short foot pursuit. Deputies contacted the juvenile at his home on Falcon Drive. Rhodes said Nunez told deputies that the juvenile had broken into the businesses.

Both suspects face three counts of second-degree burglary and theft, and a single count of criminal mischief.

The juvenile was booked into Pueblo Youth Center while Nunez, of the 200 block of South Caddoa Drive, Pueblo West, was booked into Pueblo County jail. Nunez was released late Friday on $15,000 bail.

Askew and Martinez are suspected of stealing two Toshiba laptops, a Nintendo Wii and several video games from Justin and Heather Skerjanec's residence while they were away from home Thursday afternoon.

According to an arrest affidavit by Pueblo police officer Dennis Bogard, neighbors called police to report suspicious teenagers around the Skerjanec's house. When police arrived, they found a window screen had been cut and a double-pane window had been shattered.

No one was found inside the home. Two youths were seen leaving the house in a white Mitsubishi 3000GT with a "Famous" decal. Officer Chad Garcia stopped a car matching that description near the intersection of Northern and Orman avenues. The car was occupied by Askew and Martinez. Items belonging to the victims also were recovered, the affidavit said.

Askew, of the 200 block of Spring Street and Martinez, of the 900 block of Fortino Boulevard, were being held in county jail. Askew's bail was set at $50,000 bail and Martinez's was set at $20,000.