Couple Arrested for Burglary, Sniffed Out by K-9 Unit

LAS CRUCES- Police have arrested a man who twice burglarized a home with his teenage girlfriend, then hid in a closet until a K-9 unit found him.

Victor Anthony Lazo, 21, and Marissa Marie Escarcega, 17, were arrested shortly after 2 a.m. Friday, July 8. Both are charged with two counts each of residential burglary and conspiracy, while Lazo also faces one count of contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

At around 2 a.m. Las Cruces Police were called to a residence after the homeowner arrived and noticed someone inside her house. The two intruders, later identified as Lazo and Escarcega, refused to surrender so a Police K-9 was deployed inside the home and quickly located the couple hiding in a utility closet.
Lazo received a bite from the K-9 but the injuries were relatively minor. He later told officers that he heard the repeated warnings that a K-9 would be unleashed but he didn’t believe the dog would find him.

Detectives learned that the couple burglarized the residence twice during the evening and stashed the items stolen from their first spree at Escarcega’s home, which is nearby. Most of the stolen items were recovered in Escarcega’s bedroom.

Lazo is being held at the Dona Ana County Detention Center with bond set at $20,000. Juvenile Probation refused to detain Escarcega so she was written a Juvenile Class III citation and released to the custody of a parent.