Las Cruces Police arrested a woman suspected of swiping a purse from a sport utility vehicle temporarily parked at a local elementary school.
Kim Mitchell, 43, of the 5000 block of Calle Pastura, is charged with one count of auto burglary and one count of tampering with evidence.
Las Cruces Police learned that at around 2:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 21, a 28-year-old woman parked at Sonoma Elementary School, at 4201 Northrise Blvd., and went inside to pick up her child. When the woman returned to the SUV she discovered that her purse was missing.
The victim quickly learned that a school bus driver parked nearby witnessed another woman enter the SUV, remove the purse and place it in another vehicle. The school bus driver told the 28-year-old woman what she witnessed, and the victim was able to obtain the license plate number of the suspect’s vehicle.
Police located the vehicle and Mitchell at her residence. She was subsequently booked into the Dona Ana County Detention Center with bond set at $5,000.