Suspect in police chase may be linked to several crimes

Authorities suspect a Santa Fe man arrested after a car chase last week was responsible for crimes involving thousands of dollars over the past few months, including car thefts, credit-card fraud and a spate of break-ins at a Los Alamos County building complex.

According to court filings in both Santa Fe and Los Alamos counties, Antonio Trujillo, 30, was one of two suspects in multiple robberies. In Santa Fe, he faces multiple charges, including vehicle theft, credit-card fraud and criminal damage to property.

Police arrested Trujillo on Feb. 21 after authorities said he led officers on a chase in a stolen car through the outskirts of Santa Fe. Investigators said it was the second time Trujillo had led police on a chase while driving a stolen vehicle.

The first chase began after an attempted break-in Feb. 17 in Los Alamos, court documents say.

According to arrest affidavits, Los Alamos police had been monitoring the Pajarito Cliffs Site county complex in Los Alamos following four incidents in which thieves stole a car and thousands of dollars worth of tools such as saws, blowers and drills.

Officers were watching the complex Feb. 17 when two men in a gray Jeep pulled up around 3:30 a.m.

According to a New Mexico State Police news release, a Los Alamos police officer stepped in to stop the would-be thieves as they tried to break in.

The pair started to drive away, the release said, and the officer fired shots from his AR-15 at the fleeing car.

Police chased the pair into Española, documents say, after their stolen Jeep popped two tires and swerved in and out of oncoming traffic along the way. Eventually, the Jeep crashed on Española’s Corlett Road, and the pair ran away, according to state police.

In a later interview, Trujillo’s younger brother, Gregorio Trujillo, 29, told police that he had helped his brother with a Feb. 10 break-in at the Pajarito Cliffs Site, according to court documents.

Police also suspect the Trujillo brothers in other recent crimes in Santa Fe, including an incident in early February where county sheriff ’s investigators suspect they smashed a window of a car parked at the Big Tesuque Canyon Trailhead, stole a woman’s cellphone and her wallet, then used her credit cards around town.

The pair face five felony charges and one misdemeanor charge each related to that case.

Antonio Trujillo also faces charges of vehicle theft and fleeing and obstructing a law enforcement officer in the Feb. 21 car chase in which he is accused of stealing a Toyota Yaris from a street near Ashbaugh Park and later leading police on a chase that ended at the Buckman Motocross Track, where he was arrested after he allegedly tried to run away. A second person in the stolen Toyota managed to escape, police say.

Antonio Trujillo also is accused of multiple probation violations.

State police, who investigate officerinvolved shooting incidents, on Tuesday identified Officer Jemuel Montoya as the officer who fired the AR-15 in Los Alamos. No one was hurt during the shooting, the release said, and the agency plans to send its findings to the District Attorney’s Office for review.