Police suspect accused thief in jewelry heist

Police on Friday accused a 64-year-old Santa Fe man of stealing more than $1,800 worth of jewelry from a downtown shop.

Carlos Lovato, 64, is suspected of lifting the jewelry from an unlocked case at the DC Knits boutique on East Water Street on June 8, according to a criminal complaint filed in Santa Fe County Magistrate Court.

A Santa Fe police officer who reviewed surveillance video of a man taking the jewelry wrote in a criminal complaint that he recognized the man as Lovato from a separate criminal case in which Lovato was accused of stealing money from a tip jar at a local coffee shop and then assaulting a shop manager.

In that case, the criminal complaint said Lovato on June 9 took $2 from a jar at Ohori’s Coffee on Cerrillos Road, then charged at a manager who confronted him. Lovato then offered Santa Fe police Officer Sue Bruck $20 if she would “let him go,” according to the complaint.

On June 21, Lovato pleaded guilty to taking the tip money and prosecutors dropped assault and bribery charges against him. Santa Fe County Magistrate David Segura ordered him to perform community service, serve probation and write a letter of apology to employees of the coffee shop.

However, jail records indicate Lovato has remained behind bars because of a probation violation. A warrant issued Friday in the jewelry case orders Lovato to appear before a magistrate on a fourthdegree felony count of larceny.