Suspects in over 20 robberies arrested

Couple allegedly used purple handgun, held up mostly gas stations

An Albuquerque couple suspected of committing more than 20 robberies across the city in October was arrested Halloween night.

Mathis Laau, 31, is charged with eight counts of armed robbery, three counts of conspiracy to commit armed robbery and one charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

Jasmine Montoya, 20, is charged with three counts of armed robbery and conspiracy to commit armed robbery.

According to a criminal complaint filed Friday in Metropolitan Court, Laau was seen on surveillance footage 10 times with a purple handgun and white plastic bag at eight busi

nesses that were robbed.

“At this time in the investigation, there have been over 20 robberies that are believed to have been (committed) by this offender,” a detective wrote in the complaint. Not all the incidents were described in the document.

The document details several instances in which Laau pointed the gun at people inside the businesses, most of which are gas stations.

An employee of a Subway restaurant that was robbed in Northeast Albuquerque watched a surveillance video of the incident and told investigators he recognized Laau from school.

Officers with the Albuquerque Police Department surveillance and apprehension team began following Laau and Montoya on Thursday.

According to the complaint, they witnessed the couple drive in Montoya’s car to an apartment complex near Wyoming and Osuna NE, where they parked before Laau walked across the street to a gas station.

Officers saw him “enter the business armed with a firearm and a plastic bag,” detectives wrote in the court document. They say Laau then walked back to Montoya’s car and the couple drove away.

Laau and Montoya were arrested a couple of miles away.

When police searched Montoya’s vehicle, they found “a large amount of cash” in plain view, according to the complaint.

Montoya told investigators she drove Laau to the areas of the previous robberies but claimed she thought he was selling drugs and did not know about the robberies.

Montoya and Laau were booked into the Metropolitan Detention Center on Friday.