Police have identified the man suspected of shoplifting several PS4 games from a local GameStop while a second suspect committed an armed robbery at the store.
Ivan Garcia, 21, is the man suspected of taking advantage of the situation when an armed robbery suspect entered the GameStop at 1455 Hickory Loop and confronted an employee.
Garcia entered the store about 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 11, during the armed robbery. It’s believed Garcia took advantage of the employee being distracted and grabbed a handful of PS4 games which he failed to pay for. Several users of social media recognized Garcia’s face and notified police of his identity. Garcia contacted police and acknowledged his involvement in shoplifting four PS4 games from the store but is adamant that he does not know the armed robbery suspect and was not involve in that part of the crime.
Surveillance photos from the store show Garcia wearing an Atlanta Braves baseball cap. He has been charged with a misdemeanor count of shoplifting.
Police still hope to positively identify the armed robbery suspect who fled the store with more than 55 PS4 games and a PlayStation console. He was wearing a mask and armed with a black handgun that he used to threaten the store employee. He’s described as about 6-feet tall and weighs more than 200 pounds. He wore a white T-shirt, blue jeans and white shoes.
Las Cruces Crime Stoppers continues to offer a reward of up to $1,000 for information that positively identifies the armed robbery suspect. Anyone with information that can help identify the armed robbery suspect is asked to call Las Cruces Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477. Tips can also be provided through the Las Cruces Crime Stoppers app, “P3 TIPS.” The app is available through the App Store on most devices.
Those who provide tips through Crime Stoppers do not have to leave their own name and can remain completely anonymous.
Information from: Las Cruces Police Department