Stolen bracelet recovered

McKinley County Sheriff's investigator Merle Bates holds a stolen bracelet that was taken from Ted's Pawn Shop on Thursday when deputies executed a search warrant for the bracelet at 412 Maloney Ave. in Gallup. Store manager Tim Adcock said that the stolen bracelet was pawned at the shop in August 1995, and has been on a police hold ever since the bracelet's owner identified it. [Photo by Jeff Jones/Independent]

By Leslie Wood
Staff Writer

GALLUP — McKinley County sheriff's deputies executed a search warrant at a local pawn shop on Thursday afternoon to recover a stolen turquoise bracelet.

A half a dozen deputies converged on the parking lot of Ted's Pawn Shop and Jewelry, 412 W. Maloney Ave., at about 5 p.m. to collect a bracelet that was stolen from a Sanders, Ariz., woman's residence in late 2005.

Authorities used yellow police tape to guard the pawn shop's perimeter while they served manager Tim Adcock with a warrant to search the business.

In less than 15 minutes, deputies were in and out of the business with the Navajo-style bracelet in their possession.

Investigator Merle Bates, of the McKinley County Sheriff's Department, said the shop's owners have been unwilling to hand over the stolen bracelet despite several requests to do so. Authorities subsequently obtained to a search warrant to obtain the bracelet.

"He was adamant about getting his $50 (the value of the bracelet)," Bates said. " ... We were not going to victimize the victim again by asking her to pay the amount."

The bracelet was allegedly pawned at the facility by 20-year-old Aaron Nez, of Thoreau, who is facing criminal charges in connection with the Sanders break-in. In an unrelated incident, Nez is charged with second-degree murder for his alleged role in the August beating death of a local man. He remains jailed at the McKinley County Detention Center.

Bates said the bracelet will be returned to the Sanders woman.

Adcock said he was willing to comply with the deputies' requests, but wanted it in writing before he turned over a piece of evidence in a pending criminal case. The Sanders woman also tried to retrieve the bracelet, he said. Adcock has kept the bracelet at the shop for almost two years.

"We abide by everything as long as we have it in writing," Adcock said. " ... We don't understand why they're giving the bracelet back with the trial pending."

Bates said he has consulted with the district attorney's office about the matter and received permission to return the bracelet to the woman

Adcock said it is uncommon for the business to receive merchandise that is later identified as stolen. The pawn shop's employees couldn't remember an incident since 2004.

"We pawn in good faith that it's not stolen," Adcock said of the family owned operation.