Aug. 03--SANTA FE -- A man was busted for having a stolen car after approaching a Santa Fe police sergeant around midnight Wednesday to ask for help in getting the car unlocked.
"This is one of those cases that you end up scratching your head because of the suspect's behavior, leading you to think, 'Did this really happen? '" police Lt. Louis Carlos said.
Leopoldo Carrillo, 50, of Santa Fe was booked into the county jail on a felony charge of receiving or transferring a stolen motor vehicle, and for failing to comply with his conditions of release in a separate case.
Carlos said officers were at the Cowgirl Hall of Fame BBQ on Guadalupe Street at 11:54 p.m. Wednesday for an arrest on an unrelated call. As police were finishing up that call, Sgt. Troy Baker was approached by Carrillo, who asked if Baker had a "Slim Jim" tool he could use to unlock a car.
Carlos said after Carrillo identified himself, Baker recognized his name from the report of a vehicle theft the night before. He asked Carrillo to point out the car, a 1997 green Infiniti. Carrillo said the car was his.
Carrillo eventually told the sergeant to "never mind" and tried to walked away. But Baker detained him and matched the car to the stolen car report from the night before.
Carlos did not know how the car was stolen, but said there was no damage to it. It was later released to the owner's mother.
Carrillo, who was still in jail as of Thursday night, has previous convictions in state District Court for possession of a controlled substance, possession of a firearm or destructive device by a felon and he entered a guilty plea in a 1992 receiving stolen property case, according to online court records.
He also has an open case for charges of possession of a controlled substance and resisting, evading or obstructing an officer, court records show.
Copyright 2012 - Albuquerque Journal, N.M.
