Clovis police: Amarillo burglary suspect connected to jewelry store thefts
CLOVIS, NM – A string of reported jewelry store burglaries led Clovis police to a suspect who was arrested earlier this week for a similar incident in Amarillo at the JCPenney.
According to the Clovis Police Department, on Wednesday, Aug. 30, an attempted breaking and entering was reported to Diamonds Evermore, located at 1407 N. Main. Police said the next day, on Thursday, Aug. 31, a burglary was reported to the JCPenney department store at the North Plains Mall, 2809 N. Prince in Clovis. Another burglary was reported to the Zales jewelry store inside the same mall on Sept. 4.
Because of the spike in criminal activity at the North Plains Mall, Clovis police increased their patrols around the mall. Police said that in the early morning hours of Friday, Sept. 8, an officer patrolling the mall found a broken window, and additional officers responded and searched the mall. Officers found this time that a suspect had burglarized the Keepsake jewelry store located inside the mall.
All of these incidents were assigned to the Clovis Police Department Detective Division for further investigation. During the course of these investigations, it was learned that Junayd Howard, 25, of Clovis, was arrested by the Amarillo Police Department on Tuesday, Sept. 12, for a reported burglary with similar circumstances as these burglaries.
"This arrest began our communication with the Amarillo Police Department. Through a combined investigative effort between the Clovis Police Department and the Amarillo Police Department, detectives learned Junayd had been selling jewelry, since the report of the first burglary in Clovis, to pawn shops in Lubbock, TX, Dallas, TX, and Albuquerque, NM," a news release states. "Investigators were able to match items stolen from the Clovis burglaries to items being pawned by Junayd. Based on this information investigators were able to obtain a search warrant for Junayd’s Clovis home. During this search, investigators were able to locate items believed stolen during the Clovis burglaries."
A warrant was issued for Howard’s arrest for six counts of commercial burglary, three counts of larceny over $20,000, six counts of criminal damage over $1,000, one count of attempted breaking and entering and one count of criminal damage under $1,000.
On Friday, Sept. 15, the Potter County Sheriff’s Office was contacted, and Junayd is being held on this warrant in their detention facility, Clovis police reported.
Anyone who may have any information related to these burglaries is asked to contact the Clovis Police Department at 575-769-1921. Information can also be provided anonymously by using the Clovis Police Department’s tip411 program, accessed by going to www.police.cityofclovis.org or contacting the Curry County Crime Stoppers at 575-763-7000.
This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Clovis police issue warrant for burglaries at mall jewelry stores
