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Hobbs man arrested in connection with burglaries

GABRIELLE ARSIAGA/NEWS-SUN

A Hobbs man was arrested on June 10 in connection with a string of commercial burglaries where copper wire totaling more than $13,000 was taken.

Steven Alvis, 32, of Hobbs, was arrested on June 10 on warrants for larceny over $2500, under $20,000, a third-degree felony; burglary of a structure, breaking and entering, failure to appear, and criminal damage to property, all fourth-degree felonies.

On May 3, HPD officers were called to the 1600 block of West Bender Street in reference to a commercial burglary. Officers contacted the owner of the business who said several spools and sections of copper were were taken from the property.

The victim showed officers where a section of the fence had been cut and pulled open to create access into the property.

Once inside of the yard, the victim said the suspects cut several sections of wire from tow power boxes removing 100 and 200 feet of wire. The spools were then removed and drug and then the wire was cut from them.

“Officer Olenik observed a 3 foot in diameter wooden spool just outside the fence which was stripped of copper wiring. Officer Olenik observed a larger 4 ft. in diameter spool of copper wire which had been drug,” the criminal complaint states.

The victim provided officers with an estimated value of the wire at $13,290.

Just a few days later, around 4 p.m. May 6, LCSO deputies were called to the 500 block of South Fowler Street by a victim who stated he had located a vehicle he believed was involved in the commercial burglary of his business where sheds were broken into and tools were removed.

The victim provided deputies with a photo of a red Tahoe that was outside of the Fivebros yard.

The victim said on May 8 two locks were broken before the suspects entered the sheds and took an unknown number of tools and equipment.

Upon arrival at the location where the vehicle was parked on South Fowler, deputies saw a red Tahoe parked on the southwest corner of the property. Deputies got a search warrant for the vehicle and inside they located a black plastic bag containing copper wire, several cut locks, and a broken wrench. The wire was identified by a Chevron employee as belonging to their yard.

Deputies investigating the case went to Hobbs Iron and Metal on the 900 block of South Grimes on May 3. They were told Alvis sold 139 pounds of copper wire there and was paid $435.65.

On May 9, deputies responded to the 3000 block of North Bensing Road in reference to a commercial burglary.

Deputies spoke with the victim who said a conex box was broken into and a spool of copper wire was missing. The total theft amounted to more than $13,000. That copper wire was later located inside of the red Tahoe.

May 12, deputies went to Smiths Power Products located on the 200 block of North French Drive to watch video surveillance footage of the theft that occurred on May 3.

The video footage showed the red Tahoe traveling south on French Drive, then appearing out of the field north of the business, and then go north of the Chevron facility.

On June 2, deputies reviewed Hobbs Iron Metal’s sales report and found on May 9, Alvis’s girlfriend sold 153 pounds of copper wire to the business and was paid $481.95.

Alvis was released on June 13 on a 10 percent cash bond of $3,500. He is scheduled for a preliminary examination on June 23.

Alvis has priors going back to 2019 and 2020 where he was charged as an out of state fugitive, both fourth-degree felonies.

In 2020, Alvis was also charged with receiving or transferring stolen vehicles, a fourth-degree felony. He was convicted in July of 2021.

In March 2021, Alvis was charged with six counts of non-residential burglary, six counts of breaking and entering, and six counts of criminal damage to property over $1,000, all fourth-degree felonies. All charges were dismissed in this case by the prosecutor.

In July 2021, Alvis was charged with five counts of burglary, and two counts of criminal damage to property damage more than $1,000, all fourth-degree felonies. All charges were dismissed by the prosecutor.

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