Media helps catch thieves by releasing security video

Publicized surveillance footage was the key to capturing two young men recorded stealing from the New Mexico Court of Appeals on Tuesday.

Kristian Rose, 22, and Alexander Bruin, 21, confessed to the April 26 break in at the Court of Appeals next to the University of New Mexico School of Law.

UNM Police Lt. Robert Haarhues said the bandit couple stole two computers, a painting and a law book.

“We worked in conjunction with Crime Stoppers and turned the surveillance footage over to the media,” Haarhues said. “It was on the 5 o’clock news and at 5:15 we started receiving phone calls.”

Rose and Bruin are charged with breaking and entering and burglary.

The video showed the two young men walking around the Court of Appeals for about two hours and leaving with the stolen items.
KRQE News aired the footage Tuesday night. The pair hired attorneys and turned themselves in Wednesday afternoon to UNM Police Department, Haarhues said.

“We had 10 different calls identifying the same person,” Haarhues said. “It was easy nabbing the two suspects. They even had friends calling them to tell them their faces were on the news.”

Haarhues said the suspects did not give a clear motive and the items were returned.

“They actually dropped off the hard drives in front of the law school last week,” he said. “We were able to retrieve the monitors, the painting and the book in working condition.”