By Roger Lanse

A Silver City Police Department officer was dispatched to the 1500 block of Bennett Street on Sunday, May 24 at approximately 10:20 a.m. in reference to a burglary, where the officer made contact with the homeowner.

The homeowner, according to a statement of probable cause, advised that she was using the home for storage and is fixing it up, and when she arrived earlier that morning she saw that a padlock on the side door had been broken off and the door was wide open. She told the officer that during her initial search she discovered her belongings had been rummaged through and that a 12-pack of Dos Equis had been consumed. She also stated that whoever had broken into the house had defecated in the toilet and didn't flush it and that a zip-up bag of old money had been stolen.

The homeowner stated "She had to go through the entire house to see what exactly had been taken because it was a large mess and a work in progress," according to the statement. The homeowner and the officer then entered the house, and when the homeowner looked into the last bedroom the officer heard her scream, "There's a man in here." The officer went to the bedroom, the statement said, drew his service weapon, and observed a man lying on the floor, smelling of alcohol. The officer immediately called for backup, as the homeowner fled the residence.

The man, later identified as Demetrio Lucero, 49, of Silver City (no address), was handcuffed and searched. In his pants and jacket pockets were found jewelry, cell phone accessories, tiger balm, tools, a padlock, candy, coins, a black bandana, and a mini football, together valued at $260, and all of which were identified as belonging to the homeowner, according to an incident report. The homeowner stated, the report said, that a drill, a battery charger, and bolt cutters, each valued at $200, and Ryobi drill bits valued at $50 were also stolen but not recovered.

A criminal trespass warning was issued for the address to Lucero, the report stated, and a frequent patrol was set up for the residence for all shifts.

Lucero was charged with one count each of burglary, a fourth degree felony; larceny, a misdemeanor; and criminal damage to property, a misdemeanor, and booked into the Grant County Detention Center under a $7,000 bond, where, according to GCDC personnel, he remains in custody, as of Wednesday, May 27.