Albuquerque – Today during a press conference at the main Chief Medina announced 33 felony shoplifting cases as a result of APD’s 2024 Holiday Shopping Tactical plan.
Back in November at the corner of Eubank and Southern SE, Mayor Tim Keller and Chief Harold Medina along with other dignitaries held a press conference to announce the beginning of the holiday shopping season and the department’s plans to address crime in the busiest shopping districts of the city. During the holiday tactical plan, there were 91 arrests made; 33 were for felony shoplifting, 25 for misdemeanor shoplifting. The remaining arrests included warrants, and other charges such as conspiracy and possession of a controlled substance.
A total of 50 warrants were cleared during the operations and approximately $28,000 worth of stolen merchandise was recovered.
APD’s Organized Crime Detectives (OCU) and Field Services Northeast and Northwest Problem Response Teams worked together across the city during the operations to generate these results.
Ryan Matthew Schuessler, 44, was one of the individuals arrested during the holiday tactical plan. A local retail store has approximately 21 other cases pending in which Schuessler is the suspect. OCU detectives are working to compile the cases. The accumulated amount of stolen merchandise is approximately $9,000. With the assistance of the new shoplifting aggregation law, detectives are able to compile all shoplifting cases against an individual within the last 90 days and combine the total of stolen merchandise.
Michael Utzler, 46, and Joseph Higginbotham, 47 were arrested more than once by officers during the Holiday Tactical Plan. Utzler was arrested three times and Higginbotham was arrested twice.
The holiday operations ran from Black Friday through January 3, 2025.
@abq raw
Where was this news conference held at? LoL
I mean if you all can’t even get the simplist of details correct how are you going to get the big details right?! LoL
Your standards have really been slipping these last few months. Hope you all can get it together here soon
Don’t worry now that the chief’s involved. The shoplifters will be shaking in the boots that they stole, LOL!
ya we pretty much suck and want to bury our head into a sandy beach in Mexico. Its best you get your news from the ABQ Tribune instead.
I can’t remember what constitutes a felony. I sure hope these cretins really suffer at least a little. Too bad the police don’t work that hard on shoplifting the rest of the year. My credit card was stolen and those cretins shopped all over with it to just under $1900. I made a police report but haven’t heard a word back.
@Trish Logan seems @ABQ RAW taught you a new word! LoL also with your CC issue maybe the merchants should take a lil bit for not checking ID? Or does that not jive with your “cretin” thought process!? LoL also I’m sure the CC didn’t charge a cent because very few if any CCC pass on fraudulent costs to the customer directly.
Great work! Now PUT EM AWAY!!!
I think the just tapping process for using credit cards bypasses the ID part of using your card. I haven’t been asked for ID in years. Cretins know that, too.
@Trish Logan
Yes the tap is a thing but that’s the banks and CC companies doing. They allow that to happen. However most have a limit that they will allow to go through on just a tap. Not to mention as a consumer you generally can adjust those settings in their app/website. Or worse case you can call them. Also a lot of businesses have limits because they will be out that money and or product if they allow larger transactions to process without some half hearted attempt to check an ID. plus a lot of CC holders get upset when asked to show ID. I still find that odd when they are being asked for their protection. But the first time they get their cars stolen the cry did you even check an ID!? LoL go figure
Wife had her purse snatched from the Walmart on Coors back in March 2019. Guy got credit cards and car keys. I got on the phone at the optical shop and within 10 minutes the cards were void. Guy guy went to Burger King on Ladera and Unser and couldn’t get his Whopper, lol! Got a year newer car and new bike from State Farm.
have had identity theft a couple times. Just always remember if your card gets stolen… CALL the BANK and report it even before you call the cops. Like IMMEDIATELY. I am retired banker, and the bank have their hand full ALL DAY LONG (and night). By cancelling immediately, you can contest charges right way, as they shut down the card.
Also keep your card(s) in a metal case, so that no one can steal your CC# through your purse or whatever.
Glad to see law enforcement get serious about all this now. We can thank Sam Bregman running the show!! We quit going to the malls, altogether.
Yes, being that most inbred and kept stupid are barely above Troglodyte evolution, the state needs a Tent City prison.
I realize that enabled crime is what maintains a welfare state and keeps dems in office- but after a year in a tent city prison, Troglodytes would rather scrub toilette’s and be free, than be in prison. The deterrent alone would clean this state up in less than 4 years.
@The Tax Payer
Really because the tent city that Arizona had worked so well!? LoL
Also great name calling. Makes your 2 cents that much more valuable huh!? LoL
Same old Police dept
Same old Mayor…… police chief…… and council members
Same old lawless Abq
I didn’t realize my card had been stolen until the next day, and since these people were pros, they had a super quick shopping spree. My own fault, but used to be that people would turn in a lost card. Not anymore!
ya, thats awful. Really sorry you had that. Thats not just Albuquerque, but everywhere.