Suspect held in monthlong string of robberies
Oct. 20—Sorry, not sorry.
A man is accused in a monthlong string of more than a dozen armed robberies around Albuquerque in which he is said to have apologized to most of his victims. The run ended when he was shot trying to rob a cellphone store with a toy gun last week.
Ryan Baca-Bosiljevac, 29, is charged with 15 counts of armed robbery and tampering with evidence. He was booked into the Metropolitan Detention Center on Monday evening.
It was unclear whether he had an attorney.
Prosecutors filed a motion to detain Baca-Bosiljevac until trial.
"The defendant went on a month-long violent crime spree — there is no way to paint the defendant as anything other than a danger to the community," the motion states.
According to a criminal complaint filed in Metropolitan Court:
The robberies happened from Sept. 12 to mid-October, with the perpetrator mainly using a knife to threaten employees until switching to a gun in late September. In almost all the robberies — which occurred at juice stores, cellphone shops and restaurants — the robber was "very apologetic" and had a distinguishing arm tattoo.
During the robberies, the bandit often apologized as he took the money, saying such things as, "I'm sorry for doing this — I have no other option. I'm robbing you" and "I am sorry I have to do this, but I need the money."
The last robbery occurred around 2:30 p.m. Thursday.
An employee at the Cricket Wireless, near Juan Tabo and Menaul NE, called police to report a robbery and shooting at the business. Baca-Bosiljevac was found at the scene with a gunshot wound in his abdomen.
The employee told police Baca-Bosiljevac walked in wearing a red wig and told her he was having phone issues. She said he then pulled out a gun and told her, "This is a robbery."
The employee told police a co-worker came out of the back and she stepped behind him and Baca-Bosiljevac "began apologizing for the robbery." She said her co-worker gave Baca-Bosiljevac money and he left the store.
The employee told police her co-worker followed him from the store and shot Baca-Bosiljevac in a "separate incident" outside. The gun found on Baca-Bosiljevac was discovered to be a toy black revolver that matched the one used during other robberies.
Baca-Bosiljevac's mother told detectives she had recognized her son in a recent Crime Stoppers post looking for the robber of multiple Keva-Juice businesses.
In an interview, Baca-Bosiljevac had a "clear and distinct recollection" of at least 14 robberies and told police he covered up his tattoo — the seal of Solomon — after he saw it on Crime Stoppers.
