Problems persist at nuisance property near elementary school
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A problem property is causing problems once again in Uptown Albuquerque. Now neighbors just want to stop people from breaking into the house.
APD boarded up 2801 Florida Street and arrested three people more than a week ago. The city issued a code violation, an order to vacate, saying the house was a hazard and not safe to occupy. Neighbors were feeling relieved at the time, until the break-ins started up again.
Neighbors called the police again Thursday morning after a group of people showed up at the house with a trailer and started taking things out of the garage. Police and officials from city code enforcement arrived at the house a short time later and put two women in handcuffs — Sarah Sanchez and Emma Brown.
Brown, was arrested at this house last week for receiving and transferring a stolen vehicle. She told officers Thursday she was just trying to get her stuff back as she loaded up her trailer.
The problem is that the trailer they were loading was reported stolen by Sports Systems the day before she was arrested last week.
Neighbors who called the police to report the break-in Thursday morning say it’s the same problem over and over.
“Here we are again, today recovered another stolen trailer, it looks like more arrests made, APD is here, like I said in the last interview, we know it is not over but we will keep going after them,” one neighbor said.
Sanchez was arrested and booked into MDC for criminal trespassing. Brown was given a citation and allowed to leave the scene empty-handed.
Officers unloaded the trailer, putting everything back into the garage and adding even more boards to the garage door and broken windows around the house.
“They told us every time they break in they are going to make it harder and harder for them to get back in,” the neighbor added.
But the boards are just a temporary fix. The city says the owner of the house — father to recently arrested Jocelyn Kiuttu — has filed an appeal to the code violation. The City Hearing Office has yet to set a timeline for how long this appeal will last.
Officials at the City Planning Department say it’s too soon to tell what will happen to this property. But neighbors say they just want this problem property to be resolved.
As for that trailer, police were able to confirm it belonged to Sports Systems and will be returning it right away.
MORE: