ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – A man accused of stealing from Albuquerque antique shops for months is now behind bars. The suspect was among Albuquerque Police Department’s top ten burglary suspects, who they say targeted a long list of businesses.
APD calls David Johnson the “Antique Shop Bandit” and said he’s stolen tens of thousands of dollars worth of items from as many as nine different stores since October. APD released a video showing the moment when police arrested 55-year-old David Johnson.
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One of those shops is “Old Town Antiques,” where police said Johnson stole jewelry. Investigators said Johnson opened a display case while that antique shop was open and took six items worth nearly $3,000.
The owner, who wasn’t able to interview on camera, explained she was glad to hear of the arrest but was skeptical that he would remain behind bars. Pete Kassestas owns the Outpost 1706 Taproom that’s nearby. While he isn’t a victim in the latest case against Johnson, Kassestas’ taproom was hit by another suspect recently on APD’s “Top Ten Burglars” list.
“So, here we are yet again. I’m very happy that this individual has been arrested. How long will he stay in jail? I doubt very long,” stated owner Pete Kassetas.
Kassestas said old town businesses are staying unified, despite dealing with burglaries, saying it’s important to keep “the Heart of Albuquerque” pristine.
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“Ultimately, the businesses pay, tourism hurts, and the people frequenting Old Town end up paying more, and that’s a shame. We need to concentrate on identifying the people that are causing the problems city-wide and keep them in jail,” stated Kassetas.
Johnson made a first appearance in front of a judge on Friday and is being held in MDC for now. A judge is expected to rule sometime in the next two weeks if he’ll stay in jail while awaiting trial.
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