Posted By: ABQ RAW Staff
Posted On: 10/28/2023 @ 6:30PM
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Abie Chavez, 38
Albuquerque –
The Albuquerque Police Department have identified a man known as the “Wobbly Tire Bandit.” His name is Abie Chavez. APD found out that Chavez was involving his own daughters in his crimes on the roads of Albuquerque. Chavez was arrested on a Friday night for different reasons, and his daughters were found safe and placed in the care of CYFD (Child, Youth, and Family Department).
Burglary detectives worked to identify Chavez, 38, after hearing from several victims who identified a thief who approached drivers and warn them that one of the tires on the vehicle was wobbly. Chavez offered to fix the tired as a way to gain the victim’s trust, before reaching into the vehicle to grab their purse or grab it from the victims.
As detectives dug deeper, they discovered that Chavez was using his daughters, who are 8 and 12 years old, to assist him in his crimes. Chavez either forced or pressured his daughters to help commit his crimes. The detectives were concerned for the safety of the children and reported them as missing and endangered last Friday.
On that same day, APD burglary detectives found out that Chavez had stolen a car in Las Vegas, Nevada, and driven it to Albuquerque. They collaborated with the Las Vegas Metro Police Department and the Belen Police Department to locate Chavez on the west side of Albuquerque. Detectives found the stolen car at the residence where Chavez was, and he admitted to knowing that it was stolen.
Chavez was arrested on charges related to the stolen vehicle and for violating his probation. Detectives are presently conducting an ongoing inquiry into multiple burglaries that led to Chavez being dubbed the “Wobbly Tire Bandit.” They anticipate filing charges for those offenses in the near future.