GRANTS, NM – A burglary at Vikings Games, located at 813 Roosevelt Ave., led to the arrest of one suspect after swift investigation by the Grants Police Department.
On the morning of October 16, GPD officers responded to a call concerning a break-in at Vikings Games, a local business where gamers go and rally together for their community. Upon arrival, officers discovered a shattered window and the establishment in disarray. The back door was also found unlocked. Walter Meech, the property owner, initially discovered the damage.
The owner of the business, Scott Blankfield, later confirmed missing items including an iPad Mini, a clover goes card reader, dice sets valued at over $100, and between $300-$400 in cash. Additionally, Blankfield noted a bag missing from the back room, its contents unknown, and an unidentified blood stain behind the counter.
Using the tracking feature on his iPad, Blankfield traced the device to an address at 1041 Encino. There, authorities encountered five individuals emerging from a shed. Tennison Pino, John Howard, Zane Edsitty, Kimberly Marin, and Angeline Estevan were all issued nontraffic citations for trespassing.
Pino's involvement deepened when officers observed blood on his shirt, with him first attributing it to someone else and then denying ownership of the shirt. Officers noted that Pino seemed to have scratches on his back. Further evidence surfaced from an eyewitness, placing Pino at the scene of the crime during the early morning hours.
Security footage from neighboring businesses, Roberta’s thrift store and Ya-Ya smoke shop, captured Pino's movements around the area. The footage from Roberta’s depicted Pino with a distinctive yellow/orange blanket and a black bag with a red outline. Another video from the Ya-Ya smoke shop showed Pino lingering near a window.
GPD officers later located Pino at Elm Park, where they found a bag containing dice, action figures, and Magic the Gathering cards. Pino, when questioned about the bag, initially denied ownership but later claimed to have found it.
Officers arrested Pino and transported him to Grants Police Department. He was subsequently taken to Core Civic for incarceration. The authorities have taken blood swabs found at the scene as evidence and will be seeking a warrant for Pino's DNA in connection to the burglary.
The investigation is ongoing, GPD urges any witnesses or individuals with further information to come forward.