ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Police on Tuesday arrested a man accused of vandalizing multiple businesses in Old Town earlier in the day.

Officers arrested 40-year-old Dominic Ayon after detectives found him Tuesday evening in Tiguex Park, across the street from the Albuquerque Museum near Old Town. Police say Ayon had two misdemeanor warrants already and that downtown officers had “extensive interactions” with him.

Detectives say they’re working with Albuquerque Fire Rescue arson investigators to determine if Ayon is also responsible for a fire that caused The Shop at Old Town to go up in flames.

Shop owners say this is not the first or second time this has happened to them, but this might be the worst so far. Michelle Lameres, the owner of Old Town Café, says she got the call about it around 6 a.m. Tuesday.

“I threw on my clothes and drove as fast as I can to try to see exactly what happened,” Lameres said. 

She said she found a chair stuck in the metal frame and broken glass everywhere.

To Lameres, it’s nothing new. 

“This is the third time my windows have been broken. One would just be one pain, but this is something I, especially in a room that size, to have all of it broken,” she said. 

Behind her cafe is The Shop at Old Town that went up in flames. Albuquerque Fire Rescue crews were still out Tuesday afternoon investigating the cause. 

Next to it, the Zuni Fetish Museum had its windows smashed again. 

Pete Kassetas, an Old Town business owner, says area owners created a group to try and combat all the crime here. 

“We’ve really tried to educate ourselves as merchants about security concerns, whether it’s lighting or cameras. Also working with APD, the leadership, to get them to respond and be aware of the issues we’re facing,” said Kassetas. 

He says they’ve tried to be proactive by hiring private security, and working with APD to increase patrols. But Kassetas says the issues extend beyond proactive policing.

“We’re going to identify them, and that person is going to get arrested. I know it, right? The question is that person going to be held accountable for what they’ve done here,” Kassetas said. 

Every business owner KOB 4 spoke to says they’re angry about the ongoing issues. Still, they don’t want to scare tourists away. 

“Just frustrated. It’s not that Old Town isn’t safe, it happens late at night or early, early in the morning,” Lameres said. 

Lameres says she doesn’t want to leave Old Town, but this latest break-in has her questioning what to do. 

“It’s tough because this is a third time. And I’ll be honest with you, I just don’t know if I want to stay open,” said Lameres. 

She says they called APD and they did respond. 

Right now, there’s no information about possible suspects or motives. 

Lameres says she doesn’t know how long she will have to stay closed. 

Speaker of the House Javier Martinez sent KOB 4 the following statement:

“First and foremost, this comes down to enforcing the law and keeping our communities safe. What has been occurring in Old Town is unacceptable. I have full confidence that our law enforcement officers will respond to these issues expeditiously and I have faith that our criminal justice system will hold the perpetrators accountable.

I’ve been in touch with a number of Old Town Merchants and I have requested that the Albuquerque Police Department develop a tactical plan for the area. My office will continue to monitor the situation closely and offer every resource available to address these issues.”