Los Alamos police report logs warrants, felony charges, shoplifting arrests
A child-sex-predation arrest, a White Rock warrant case and a shoplifting charge marked Los Alamos police activity across the county's latest five-week log.
An arrest on multiple counts of criminal sexual penetration of a child under 13 stood out in Los Alamos police activity over the April 8 through May 13 span, alongside warrant service and a shoplifting case that moved through Los Alamos, White Rock, Santa Fe and Chimayo. The weekly log offers a window into the kinds of calls that most directly shape public confidence in local safety: serious felony allegations, outstanding warrants and property crime handled by a department that patrols both Los Alamos and White Rock.
Tim Pacheco, 63, of Los Alamos, was arrested May 7 in a separate Los Alamos Police Department case and charged with multiple counts of criminal sexual penetration of a child under 13. Cynthia Rose Lechuga, 51, of White Rock, was arrested May 8 on a Magistrate Court warrant. Jerome Block II, 49, of Santa Fe, was arrested May 10 and charged with shoplifting in the $250-to-$2,500 range plus conspiracy. Marcos D. Romero, 46, of Chimayo, was arrested May 12 on a warrant from another jurisdiction. The charges in the report are allegations, not convictions, but the lineup shows how quickly local police work can extend beyond one neighborhood or one type of offense.
The cases also fit into a broader county pattern that has been trending lower overall, even as some categories remain stubbornly familiar. Chief Dino Sgambellone, who has led the Los Alamos Police Department since 2013, released first-quarter 2026 crime statistics showing overall crime down 10% year over year. Theft, fraud and simple assault accounted for 75% of all reports in that period. The county’s 2025 crime statistics showed a 20% drop in overall crime from 2024, with crimes against persons rising from 47 to 56 while crimes against property fell from 153 to 110 and crimes against society dropped from 22 to 12.
That larger picture matters because the police department says its mission is to provide proactive law-enforcement services that promote safety and security for residents and visitors. It also underscores why the county keeps steering people toward caution when a call or email looks suspicious: before sending personal identifying information or money, residents are told to contact the Police Department at 505-662-8222. Beyond patrol and arrests, the department handles report requests, fingerprints, background checks and victim services, placing the weekly arrest log inside a wider public-safety operation that stretches well beyond a single headline case.
Know something we missed? Have a correction or additional information?
Submit a Tip
