Albuquerque man arrested in connection to property scam
Posted at: 12/03/2011 10:49 PM
| Updated at: 12/04/2011 2:03 PM
By: Mike Daniels, KOB Eyewitness News 4
Instead of enjoying a Saturday with his family, Gabrial Martinez and his good friend are putting in new locks at home he is trying to sell.
"Trying to repair the damage that was done here,” Martinez said. “There were live wires in the house.”
Earlier in the week Martinez noticed someone changed the locks at his house.
He asked his neighbors to keep an eye on his house in a Southwest Albuquerque gated community.
Late Friday night his neighbor called 911 when he saw people with the lights on inside.
"There's not supposed to be anybody in the house,” Florencio Pacheco told police.
When members of the Albuquerque Police Department arrived they said they found Shaun Anaya, owner of Olive Tree Property Management, inside the house changing the locks.
The officer said Anaya had a crowbar with him.
"This is the first time we've actually caught him present at the residence," said APD Sgt. Rob Gibbs.
In November, KOB's Four on Your Side team broke the story about an APD investigation into allegations of Anaya's rental scams in the Southwest Albuquerque area.
So far, police have investigated 26 such claims.
We confronted Anaya about the claims.
"This is a clear example of APD twisting peoples words,” he said.
This isn't Anaya's first run-in with police.
He's either pled guilty or been convicted of fraud and drug charges.
Documents we've obtained from victims say Anaya runs a very sophisticated operation.
He doles out contracts, invoices and even charges gross receipts tax for the rentals.
Martinez says Anaya also stole a lot of things he left in the home.
"I had brand new leather sofas upstairs, there were expensive electronics. They left all the junk and took all the good stuff," says Martinez.
While police were investigating the most recent claim, Valerie Garcia pulled up to the house and said Anaya's rented the home for $1,800.
If there's anything good to come out of this, Martinez and his wife Reyna are allowing Garcia and her four kids to stay in the home until they sell it.
Martinez says Anaya told Garcia he'd buy her a refrigerator and washer and dryer since the home didn't have any.
The single mother of four still needs the appliances.
Police arrested Anaya for fraud, breaking and entering and conspiracy.
He was booked into jail with a $7,500 bond and released late Saturday.
|
 |
Tweet |
|
