CRIME

Officers track down Amarillo theft suspect

Staff Writer
Amarillo Globe-News
Blake Aleman

Police arrested an Amarillo man Wednesday on an outstanding theft warrant after officers tailed him leaving a Randall County residence, police said Thursday.

Blake Andrew Aleman, 31, was charged with theft over $1,500 but under $20,000 after Amarillo police arrested him outside a southeast Amarillo residence, police said.

In August, Amarillo police investigated a theft at Extra Space Storage, 1500 S.E. 34th Ave. During the theft, someone forced their way through the gate and stole a trailer loaded with three four-wheelers.

The following month, an officer was checking near an abandoned building in the 4400 block of Southeast 28th Avenue on a report of a trailer abandoned there. Officers found a trailer with an attached welder that was reported stolen from Canyon. Further checks in the area led to the trailer stolen from Extra Space Storage.

On Sept. 2, Amarillo Crime Stoppers released surveillance video from the Amarillo storage facility as the Crime of the Week. Two days later, police received a tip identifying the suspect in the video.

The tip was forwarded to Amarillo detectives, who followed up on it and presented a case to Randall County Criminal District Attorney James Farren's office Dec. 17. On Wednesday, a theft warrant was issued for Aleman, police said.

About 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, police located Aleman's black Toyota 4Runner at a southeast Amarillo residence. Officers watched the vehicle to see if Aleman would return, and a short time later, officers saw the vehicle traveling westbound on Southeast 34th Avenue.

Police stopped the vehicle at Southeast 34th Avenue and South Manhattan Street, and Aleman was arrested on the theft warrant. A female in the Toyota was identified and released. A vehicle inventory revealed several watches and a new computer tablet that authorities think was stolen in a mid-December home burglary.

Aleman was booked into Randall County jail on the outstanding theft warrant. The 4Runner was impounded and the property inside was booked as evidence.