Attorney General Hector Balderas

AG News:

ALBUQUERQUE — The New Mexico Office of the Attorney General’s Organized Retail Crime Task Force has issued an arrest warrant for Alejandro Lujan-House.  Lujan-House was released from MDC July 25 after taking a plea to shoplifting charges, but he was arrested again the very next day after two more incidents of theft at the same Walgreens store.

Lujan-House is being charged with seven felonies.

“Organized retail crime has become a billion-dollar crisis that can no longer be ignored, and my office will continue to pursue the legislature to strengthen New Mexico laws and hold these egregious offenders accountable,” Attorney General Balderas said.

Beginning in November 2021, and continuing into this week, Lujan-House has been implicated in a number of thefts, primarily at Walgreens stores in Albuquerque. Upon entering the stores, Lujan-House would load up his pants with stolen merchandise, often clearing entire shelves of their stock, and in some cases, he even requested that locked displays be opened for him in order to steal secured merchandise.

In one incident, Lujan-House could be seen filling a pillowcase with stolen merchandise before exiting the store. Lujan-House’s crimes escalated over time to include threats of violence and verbal abuse of female store associates. Lujan-House became so well known to the staff at one Walgreens that they called him by name during his crimes.

Evidence against Lujan-House was forwarded to the New Mexico Organized Retail Crime Task Force for investigation and warrants were issued for his arrest.