13-year-old charged in burglary

By Independent staff

GALLUP — A Thoreau teenager was arrested in connection with a residential burglary this week.

Mearl Laurence, 13, was charged with burglary after he allegedly broke into a residence at a rural address on Lenore Avenue in Thoreau on Monday.

Investigator Merle Bates of the McKinley County Sheriff’s Department confirmed the arrest and said authorities expect to arrest another teenager in connection with the crime.

Lawrence reportedly found a key that was stored in a porch light and used it to gain entry to the home, according to a police report.

Once inside the residence, Lawrence was confronted by one of the home’s occupants, Adriane Elkins, who was in a nearby bedroom.

“Adriane stated she asked the individuals who were identified as two Native American males what they were doing. The individuals did not answer her and she asked who they were and again there was no response,” the report reads.

A physical confrontation then ensued and Lawrence fled the location.

Elkins contacted sheriff’s deputies and reported an Xbox and several video games were missing from the home.

Elkins identified Lawrence as one of the teenagers who broke into her home by looking through student identification cards from Thoreau Middle School.

Within a day, sheriff’s investigators questioned Lawrence about the break-in and arrested him for his alleged role in the burglary.