Alamogordo Daily News
By Duane Barbati, Staff Writer
Link to Article

Alamogorodo, NM

A 34-year-old Alamogordo man is being held on a $60,000 bail bond for alleged burglary after Alamogorodo Department of Public Safety officers used DNA evidence to connect him to the Karrousal preschool break-in on Jan. 16, an ADPS spokesman said.

Detective Roger Schoolcraft said Andrew Piedra was charged with two counts of commercial burglary, three counts of criminal damage to property, unlawful taking of a motor vehicle, receiving or disposing of stolen property and larceny.

Schoolcraft said Piedra was charged Wednesday.

He said Piedra is accused of breaking into the Karrousal preschool, 301 Texas Ave., on Jan. 16 and Feb. 11.

Schoolcraft said the suspect is accused of taking several electronic items and breaking into a candy machine, then taking food and money from it.

Schoolcraft said Piedra is also accused of taking a white van from the preschool.

He said the total damage to the property within the preschool building and vehicle was in excess of $2,500.

"At the crime scene, we were able to collect some DNA evidence from Karrousal," Schoolcraft said. "I had arrested him on charges earlier in the year in another case. I was able to get a DNA swab from him after his arrest on the other charges."

Schoolcraft said he was able to compare the DNA from a March 23 arson and burglary in the 600 block of Delaware Avenue.

"Piedra allegedly vandalized the inside of the preschool," Schoolcraft said. "He allegedly kicked things and punched some of the walls."

He said Piedra had prior contact with law enforcement.

Schoolcraft said that during the course of the investigation, numerous items of evidentiary value was collected and submitted to the Northern Forensic Crime Laboratory in Santa Fe for analysis, then compared to a possible suspect.

He said on July 27, detectives received a laboratory analysis report from the Santa Fe laboratory identifying the DNA evidence submitted matched the DNA profile to the suspect identified as Piedra.

Schoolcraft said some of the stolen property from the Karrousal preschool burglary has not been recovered.

Contact Duane Barbati at dbarbati@alamogordonews.com.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

International Association for Property and Evidence
"Law Enforcement Serving the Needs of Law Enforcement"
www.IAPE.org